“Gifts that Give Back to Chicago”

The holidays are quickly approaching and you know what that means — time to start shopping.

If you’re not already racking your brain for gift ideas for you loved ones, then you probably should be. There are brothers, & sisters, husbands & wives, mothers & fathers, etc. & etc. You know the drill.

However, rather than just settling for the old gift card or knife set, let’s try to think outside the bottle in 2019.  You see, some gifts don’t only benefit the giver and the recipient. That’s right, if you shop in a socially conscious way you can actually kill two birds with one stone — which means buying gifts that directly support your community.

So this holiday season, why not consider a gift that gives back to Chicago.

Gifts that Give back to Chicago — A Hot Sauce that Serves

If you’ve tried our hot sauces, then you already know that Small Axe Peppers is dedicated to bringing the heat (along with the flavor). You know this because our hot sauces are crafted to perfection by a visionary chef, who has is blessed to blend fresh, locally-produced peppers made in a community garden near you.

However, despite our obsession with mastering the culinary craft that is making hot sauce, Small Axe Peppers is — and always has been — about community activism. In a serendipitous turn of events, two great ideas collided resulting in a hot sauce that serves the community.

In fact, we see ourselves as much hot sauce makers as social activists and we really believe in the power of community gardening and urban farming. So buying Small Axe hot sauce really is a gift that gives back to Chicago.

Why do they contribute to a gift that gives back to Chicago?

Well it’s simple — Community gardens:

• build welcoming, safer communities
• improve the look of Chicago’s neighborhoods. 
• reduce pollution by sequestering carbon and reducing the shipping of food over long distances
• support pollinator habitats that are necessary for community well-being
• reduce food insecurity
• Provide invaluable soil to grow fresh local produce, made directly available to neighborhoods across Chicago
• connect Chicagoans to nature
• educate Chicagoans on where food comes from, especially in urban spaces, to engage with their food system
• provide an inclusive meeting area where people of all ages and cultural backgrounds can come together to share experiences and knowledge
• and a whole lot more

Small Axe Peppers is now partnered with 73 community gardens from all across the United States. From coast to coast we are buying peppers from these agriculturally-minded activists as they remake Chicago‘s neighborhoods.

Just take a look at some of the work being done by some of gardens we’ve partnered with in  Chicago. Now you see what we mean by gifts that give back to Chicago? Take a look at the Chicago Hot Sauce: