February is upon us once again and that means shopping for that special someone in your life. Although it can feel overwhelming to find just the right gift, don’t let the moral  weight on your conscience hinder you from making an educated choice on where to shop this year. Let us take the guesswork out of the equation for you as we compare companies for flowers, jewelry and candy this Valentines Day season!

Flowers

The two most popular flower delivery companies are 1-800-flowers and ProFlowers (owned by FTD). Taking a look at 1-800-flowers (2.49), we came across a mixed batch of information. Leaning left, we find that since 2007, the company has directed nearly $200,000 in monetary funds and in-kind donations to support the work of GLAAD – the leading LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization (source). They do, however, offer discounts for military and service members through Veterans Advantage. They also demonstrate reasonably environmentally conscious actions by supporting responsible sourcing and reforestation practices and by  participating in various recycling programs. .

Pro Flowers (3.00) (owned by FTD) was also researched but very little information was available concerning their philanthropic support and monetary donations and as such, can only be expressed as a neutral organization until more information is made available.

An alternative to these two organizations is Bloomsy Box who supports a “farm-to-table” style of service while also advocating and partnering with over 48 family farms and small businesses. By working with specific certified farms they ensure that toxic chemicals are used and by eliminating the middleman mentality that typically exists in the flower business, they are able to reduce waste. To see what they have to offer, click here.

If you are interested in a directory of Veteran Owned florists while shopping locally, VeteranOwnedBusiness.com allows you to search for specific businesses for a variety of your shopping needs all while supporting Veterans! Click here to see what the website has to offer for florists in your area:

Jewelry

Signet Jewelers Limited (1.57) – the parent company to big names like Kay Jewelers (3.00), Zales (3.00) and Jared The Galleria Of Jewelry (3.00) is a popular choice when it comes to jewelry shopping. It is not, however, a great choice if you want your retail support to go to organizations that support a conservative mindset. Just a few of the actions that caused us concern are listed below:

Included in their 2020 Sustainability Report:

• Signet Jewelers Limited openly states the incorporation of “Unconscious Bias” training for all team members.
• Signet Jewelers Limited discloses $100,000  donation to Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) organization to raise awareness and continue to support LGBTQ+ rights and activism.
• Signet Jewelers Limited discloses $100,000 donation to NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
• Signet Jewelers becomes a member of the Human Rights Campaign’s business coalition for the Equality Act – a national sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) accommodation mandate that would undermine 1st Amendment protections for religious liberty.
•  Signet enhanced and expanded health-plan benefits for same sex domestic partners/spouses and expanded the parental leave policy to include parental leave for all genders.
• In 2020, Signet donated $53,000 to United Way of Summit County as part of an annual giving campaign. Since 1997, Signet has donated more than $3.23 million from annual team member giving campaigns. United Way of Summit County supports Planned Parenthood through monetary donations typically ranging from $100,000 to $200,000 per year.

Of course we were able to locate a few good qualities from Signet. For example, they “led a community outreach drive to collect donations in partnership with Valor Home -, a housing program of Family & Community Services that offers supportive, therapeutic housing for homeless and at-risk veterans. Team members raised more than $2,000 and filled two truckloads of donated emergency supplies, which included winter coats, bed pillows, comforters, sheets, gas and grocery cards, and toiletry items.” Their subsidiary, Zales does offer a 10% discount to active duty military and veteran service members. But when comparing the pros with the cons, it is easy to say which way this large company tends to lean.

Another frequently used jewelry retailer is Tiffany & Co. (2.57) (owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. But, unfortunately, they aren’t much better when it comes to moral and ethical high ground.

To start, Tiffany & Co. scored a 100 on the 2021 Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index which is used as a national benchmarking tool on corporate policies, practices and benefits pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. Just like Signet, Tiffany & Co. is also a member of the HRC’s business coalition for the Equality Act. To take it a step further, Alessandro Bogliolo was a signatory to the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge, which includes the incorporation of mandatory unconscious bias training for employees, which is linked to critical Race Theory (CRT).

Since 2000, the Tiffany and CO Foundation has awarded over $90 million in grants, with $4-$6 million in average annual grantmaking over the past several years seeking to preserve the world’s most treasured seascapes and landscapes. However, they do take a strong stand to support the Paris Climate agreement in their Sustainability statement  and by being a signatory of the We Are Still in Pledge. They do offer 10% to military and service members but I would hardly consider that a reason to have my business – especially considering the various other companies that offer the same, if not better, discount.

There are other jewelry options out there with ethically sourced diamonds and materials that are made in the U.S.A. and provide military discounts like Wonder Jewelers, Qalo and Blue Nile Jewelry. But if you want to take it a step further why not shop with those that are also Veteran owned that supports Veterans in need?

Sword & Plough (3.14) is veteran owned or partially staffed by veterans. Owned by two sisters, one of which was an U.S. Army Captain who served in Afghanistan, this patriotic duo donates 10% of profits or 2% of revenue (whichever is greater) to veteran nonprofit organizations such as Got your 6, Team Red, White & Blue, Team rubicon and Pets for Vets. They also donated more than $45,000 worth of Sword & Plough products to veteran organizations and continue to partner with other veteran owned companies. They boast a conservative and valiant effort to reduce waste and minimize their carbon footprint by incorporating thousands of pounds of repurposed military surplus materials in our product line, manufacturing exclusively in the United States, and using recycled materials in our packaging. And as if you needed more of a reason to give them your business – they make more than just jewelry, offering handbags and other items for those who may not be big into jewelry. For more on Sword & Plough visit their website here.

Brass & Unity is another option if you are still looking for something a little different in the bling department. Also owned by a U.S. Veteran and Afghanistan deployed survivor, B&U donates 20% of net profits to help rehabilitate soldiers & First Responders.These funds go directly to mental health programs, prosthetic limbs, therapy/rehab programs, food/shelter/clothing for homeless Veterans, and many more – including help for their families. More on Brass & Unity can be found here.

Chocolates

Last, but definitely not least is my favorite part of Valentine’s Day – chocolate! Don’t bother with MARS or Hersheys this year – they both score poorly in most of our focus areas. You may be tempted to go looking for other frequently purchased brands Like Godiva and Lindt but let’s take a closer look just to be sure.

Godiva (3.00), owned by Turkish company Ulker, supports the Paris Climate Agreement. They have taken an active role in sustainability by  supporting the “A Breath for the Future” campaign of the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry since 2019. In 2020, Ulker planted 31,000 trees in total, throughout Turkey and in the last six years, their water savings (through various water management practices) amounted to 360,000 tons – equivalent to the daily water consumption of approximately 2.5 million people. Of course, being a foreign based company, there is not much information outside of environmental efforts that is pertinent to those of us here in the United States.

Owned by Lindt & Sprüngli (3.00), we look at two other very popular candy companies – Russel Stover Okay (3.00) and Ghirardelli (3.00). Based out of Switzerland, but with headquarters here in the U.S. as well, Lindt also expresses support for the Paris Climate Agreement in their 2020 Sustainability Report, while still supporting a strong and ethical approach to sustainability, such as reforestation, conservative water management techniques and reducing C02 emissions. But being a company based outside of the U.S. makes it difficult to assess where they would stand on American issues.

For this section I have two fantastic suggestions for sweets made in the U.S.A. and Veteran owned.

Firstly, Extra Ordinary Delights Fudge , which is owned by Aaron Hale – a 14 year veteran, military chef and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (E.O.D) team leader. In December of 2011, after a traumatic injury from an unseen IED while serving in Afghanistan, Aaron returned home blind. But with a resilient heart and motivation to do it all, Aaron and his wife started EOD Fudge and have since been featured on multiple networks such as FOX Business and ESPN. To see what amazing treats they offer such as fudge, candy apples and even pies, click here.

Second, we have Lift Chocolate where “Candy Man” owner and Chocolatier Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Busch offers all-natural, handmade gourmet chocolate treats. Brandon served as a heavy-lift helicopter pilot in the United States Marine Corps and two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and continues to serve as a Forward Air Controller in the Marine Corps Reserve. To see Lift Chocolates exclusive Valentine’s Day lineup, click here.

I hope this article has provided you with several options to consider this Valentine’s season. If there are other brands you are considering, we urge you to search our scores before you venture out for that special something. Every little bit counts to making conscious choices for the moral and ethical support of our American standards.

COLUMN BY

Alisa MacQuinn

EDITORS NOTE: This 2ndVote column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.