We are so fortunate to travel for pleasure, and design sleek accessories to facilitate that. Leisure travel is possible because our basic needs are met. But too many others are not as fortunate; they cannot meet even their basic needs, such as adequate meals. In the San Francisco Bay Area alone, where we live, 1 in 5 individuals live in poverty.

That was before the COVID-19 pandemic—now people who faced a crisis before teeter on the brink of disaster. Too few Americans are prepared for even a minor emergency: they have modest savings, iffy healthcare, and were already living paycheck-to-paycheck. They could ill-afford to lose any wages and now have had their jobs disrupted. Schools closures have deprived myriad students of a major meal source. These families will be slow to recover, if they even can, after the pandemic ends.  

Food banks around the country are stepping up efforts to ensure that Americans do not go hungry during this pandemic; we want to join in. So, with each purchase of our Travel Belt, we will contribute three meals through the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank (SFMFB) to individuals in need in the Bay Area. The SFMFB is one of the leading local food banks in the country: it distributes over 48 million pounds of food and serves tens of thousands of families every year. It thrills us to be a small part of its efforts.

And to be honest, Cincha becomes that much more meaningful to us when it is a channel not just for fun and style, but also for some good in our community. And perhaps entrepreneurship will increasingly involve community giving as a core of business, distinct from our personal charitable endeavors. A little good can have an outsized impact our world; so why not start with the families at risk of hunger in our communities?

Please let us know if you if you have questions about the food donation process. You can also directly support the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank through at their site. 

-Ash and James