Giving hope with Hope Outfitters
The older I get, the more I just want to wear my Christian faith.
I love when I find clothing companies who help me to do just that. And not only does Hope Outfitters help you proclaim the Word of God, they give to others in need. 100%.
This PNW-based company's mission is to give 100% to their chosen causes, ethically source all their clothing, and share the love of Jesus with those in need.
Can I get an AMEN!?
After college I was pretty much consumed with the idea of wealth and status. I spent hours brainstorming new business ideas that would help me achieve my goal. Then, God began to change my heart and I realized that all these things I'd been dreaming about, all this stuff, it was all so temporary. It just doesn't last. ~Founder, Ryan Welch
From this change of heart, Hope Outfitters was born. They design and make their own clothing for men, women, children (and babies), and then donate 100% of the profits.
They call it, "Buy 1, Give 100." For every purchase you make, 100% of the profits are donated back to organizations that are sharing the love of Christ with the world. This mission has enabled them to donate more than $222,000 to various charities, which recently included Lifewater and Mercy Ships. Their current campaign supports the pro-life organizations you can read about here.
I reached out to Ryan and Crissy and asked them to share more about Hope Outfitters. I was blown away by their honesty, their humble hearts, and their desire to serve the Lord and bring Him glory.
Friends, buy a shirt. Wear your faith. Be a light in a dark world and partner with Hope Outfitters to share the love of Jesus with the world. Be blessed and encouraged by the testimony of this sweet family.
Tell us about you and your family. What difference have you seen in them (if any) after starting Hope Outfitters?
Honestly, it’s been a real blessing, but it’s also been really tough at times. Our whole family and a bunch of friends help us keep the company running. My sister manages the website orders and my dad and some friends build a lot of the furniture we need for stores and events. There are just so many others who run events, write our blog, order our shirts, manage inventory, etc.
Our daughters have helped run the store when I used to work it every weekend and have experienced what it’s like to serve a lot through Hope Outfitters (which is a good thing)! They have witnessed us serving and learned a lot about loving people in need. There’s a lot of people who help us!
The hard part is that running a company in our spare time can be very stressful on our families at times. Last year, when we were remodeling the new shop in Spokane, WA (2 hours away from our home), our kids (12, 9, 7 and 6 months) spent a LOT of time walking around the mall, or waiting on a bench, while we worked inside the shop. It was stressful for me as a mom as I couldn’t do much to keep them content and safe, but I just had to trust God and pray the remodel would be done as quickly as possible. Ryan and I have had to learn how to run a business together which has also been challenging for our marriage at times. We’ve learned so much through the last several years and God has taught us to remain humble and to trust in Him.
How do you decide what organization to support? How long does each campaign last?
We have a core team of friends and family who help us choose different organizations. Sometimes we’ve chosen groups because they’re reached out to us and sometimes we’ve just picked charities because they are near and dear to our hearts. We try and go back and forth between international and domestic groups to keep it balanced. Each campaign lasts one year. It used to be three months, but it got to be too much for us since this isn’t our full-time job.
I’m sure a lot of people are curious how a company can donate 100% of its profits. Can you shed a little light on how that works?
It’s a good question. Profits are everything above and beyond what it takes to run the company. We have to pay for the screen printing and blank shirts, the rent and shopping bags, etc. Once that’s covered, the profits are what is left. Instead of paying
into the company or investing it, we give it all away.
What is your hope for the future of Hope Outfitters?
Hmmm...let’s see. I’d say from a business stand-point it would be awesome if someday God would call us to run the company as Ryan’s full time career. He works as a project manager/engineer at a National Lab and then helps run the company at night and on weekends. Someday, we’d love to make this his actual career, but haven’t felt called to make the switch yet.
Another, more obvious goal is to make as much money as we can so that we can bless different charities as much as possible. It’s an honor to come alongside an organization, who works so hard to help hurting people and just say, we just want to bless you! We want to help you financially because we love what you’re up to. Our first campaign was with an organization who was just starting out. They were fighting against sex-trafficking but didn’t have money to become a non-profit. We were able to give them enough money to make that happen. It was such an honor and a blessing for all of us.
But the MAIN goal has always been to bring glory to Jesus. Unbelievers always wonder why we do this all, and we’re able to tell them that it’s because of how Jesus gave us everything. We want to bring light and hope to the world for the fame of Jesus! That’s REALLY what this is all about for us.
How has starting this company affected your faith?
Oh my word, in big ways! When we first started, we had zero money. We asked friends and family to donate a little to help us get it started (buy the first shirts). God took it a step further and had someone donate $20k in screen printing equipment. More and more, things like that happened.
We had a goal to raise enough money for a Save the Storks bus and at the end of our four-month campaign we only had half of what we needed. We prayed and prayed. Two weeks later, the producers of the movie, God’s Not Dead, saw us on Facebook and called my husband. They donated $70k to finish our campaign. There have been highs and lows, but God has been faithful through it all.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Honestly I just hope and pray that anyone reading this would be able to know and understand how much God loves them.
He is our only hope—without him we have none, and no matter what, he is faithful and good. His love is unending—there is no better friend.
When we trust in HiM, he brings purpose and joy, forgiveness and hope for our future. This company exists to be the hands and feet of Jesus. This is not about us; it’s not about T-shirts, and it’s not about money. It’s only about bringing glory to Jesus and spreading his love while we are here!
What an amazing, company! You can make a purchase through their website, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Together let's change the world, one shirt at a time!