WRITTEN BY CHRIS RILEY
Look good, feel good. An adage that has long stood the test of time. And for David Merritt, founder of Merit Goodness, a truth to live by. Since 2012, Merit Goodness has produced stylish apparel that focuses on comfort and design. Offering various swag in the form of t-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, joggers, hats, and more.
However, they are more than a local brand that makes you look good. They also give you another reason to feel good.
EMPOWERING THE YOUTH
One of the many things that make Merit Goodness special is their unwavering focus on the future. Their goal isn’t to become wealthy, but to create a world in which it is possible for the youth to gain a wealth of knowledge and success.
“It’s about quality time. We invest time in our products - from design to comfort. But just as important, is the time we invest in our future, our students, who are the next generation of leaders – tomorrow’s creators.”
Their goal isn’t to simply make money and send students off to college. They’re walking with the youth, hand-in-hand, making sure each one has the tools they need to achieve. And encouraging them along the process with a nurturing dedication.
Photo provided by givemerit.org
CAUSE BY DESIGN
Unfortunately, due to circumstances that may vary for many, things don’t always go as planned. Every 60 seconds a student in America drops out of high school and 1 in 4 Detroit youth will not graduate on time. Something Merit believes is due to many things.
“We believe it’s because of aspirations. We have failed in offering enough opportunities for our young people to truly dream, to aspire. If you don’t have aspirations, you’re not going to believe in yourself. If you don’t have that community of people around you telling you that you can, you won’t contribute.”
Luckily, they created a solution to the problem: The FATE Program. FATE is an eight-year program that works one-on-one with high school students in Detroit and prepares them to graduate on-time. Helping youth aspire, believe, contribute, and ultimately, helping them become world-class citizens; someone who actively engages with, learns from, and gives to, the community in which they are a part of. And if the student completes the program and gets into college, they can get up to $8,000 in college scholarships.
Currently, they are even leveraging their momentum towards new projects like manufacturing backpacks in Detroit, offering mentorship to more students, and creating a training program to expose young people to sewing and design.
FIND GIVE MERIT AT THE MAKET
If you’re ever looking for cool gear with a purpose just as cool be sure to check out the Merit Goodness line at the market (right when you walk in or by the brick wall, next to customer service). And if you want to keep up with them on social or simply want to learn more about their programs, they can be found at:
Facebook: Merit Goodness
Twitter: Merit Goodness
Instagram: Merit Goodness
Instagram: Fate Detroit
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