Fear has a way of messing with our minds. Often, it's not the thing we fear, but fear itself that keeps us from acting on solutions and taking brave steps toward change. Sackcloth & Ashes founder Bob Dalton has a story like this; when his mother — a hardworking single mom with two college degrees — found herself homeless, sleeping on the benches and beaches of Florida, he wondered how an issue he felt so removed from could have a direct impact on him. This direct effect was a shift in his world view — compelling him to take action.

Bob called homeless shelters across the US, asking them what the number one thing they needed was. The consensus was blankets, and Bob wanted to help. In 2014, Sackcloth & Ashes launched, taking the 1:1 model one step further by localizing every purchase of a blanket to a donation of a blanket to a local homeless shelter nearby. Hyper-focused on solutions, Sackcloth & Ashes partners with initiatives and organizations working to solve homelessness nationwide.

With their Blanket The United States initiative, they strive to donate 1 million blankets to homeless shelters by 2024. Additionally, Bob launched a podcast this May called Love Your City, talking to grassroots changemakers working for social causes in their local communities. And with a whole wide array of collaborations (from Naiomi Glasses to National Geographic and more), we can’t wait to see what they do next.

DOING GOOD: Sackcloth & Ashes leverage retail to further social change.

NAME: Bob Dalton

CITY: San Diego, CA

TELL US ABOUT THE TEAM BEHIND SACKCLOTH & ASHES. HOW DO YOU BUILD UP YOUR TEAM AND ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS YOU? We have the dream team. After 8 years we have been able to construct five teams that run the entire organization. We have around an 80-90% retention rate since the start of the brand. Everyone who is a part of the vision believes in what we are doing and shares a common goal to Blanket the United States.

YOUR DREAM COLLABORATION: The North Face

YOU RECENTLY STARTED THE “LOVE YOUR CITY” PODCAST, INTERVIEWING PEOPLE DOING GRASSROOTS WORK FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S. WHAT INSPIRES YOU AND DRIVES YOU TO SEEK OUT THESE STORIES? I believe that grassroots leaders are some of the most important voices in the nation right now. As mainstream media is primarily focused on the problems of society, grassroots leaders are often creating solutions and inviting people in to contribute on a local level. I started Love Your City Podcast to give a microphone to these grassroots leaders so we can learn from them and be inspired to take action locally.

THE VALUES THAT DRIVE YOUR BUSINESS DECISIONS: We ask a few questions that drive our decisions as a brand:

· What is the most effective strategy?

· What value can we bring people to make them want to be a part of our community?

· Is this a revenue or a relevant decision? (These needs to be about 50/50)

WHAT YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT: Phone!