WHILE PROVIDING UNDERPRIVLEDGED WOMEN A FRESH NEW START
Local Chicago mom follows dreams to produce environmentally friendly product while giving women a second chance at life
At 37 years old, Jennifer Murphy has started a new chapter in her life and in the lives of woman who are getting a second chance. It was Murphy’s mission, when starting Chapter One Organics, a 100% organic line of baby clothes manufactured in the US by women who have had significant barriers to employment and authoring The Green Eaters – A Dream Come True, to create a positive impact on the lives of our children, our environment, our workers, and our future.
Murphy had a vision at a young age. With a love of fashion, a family history of selflessness and philanthropy, and a growing interest in the environment, she decided to combine all of her passions to create her company: Chapter One Organics. With the birth of her second child and the death of her grandparents, Murphy turned her childhood vision into that of reality in March 2007.
“I was working at a big clothing company when I developed a terrible rash on my hands and eventually came to realize it came from the fabrics,” states Murphy. “That is when I knew, that one day, I wanted to take my experience and develop a line of clothes that would be free of chemicals and give babies the freshest most natural clothes as they start their new lives.”
Chapter One Organics produces fun, modern and organic baby and toddler clothes from sustainable materials. The clothes are manufactured of 100% organic cotton fabrics that are grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Using organically grown cotton reduces the amount of toxic pesticides and fertilizers that are put into our earth.
Chapter One Organics is an approved member of Co-op America and their clothing is made in the US by women who have had significant barriers to employment. Through an established training program, these women develop skills to offer opportunities otherwise impossible. They are earning fair wages and establishing careers, learning work habits, and able to care for their families.
All of Chapter One Organics vendors follow GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards). All screen-printed clothing is made with water-based inks, without plastisol, and all dyed clothes are made with low-impact dyes. Whenever possible, Chapter One also provides hang-tags that are printed on seeded paper that can be planted after they are read. Some of the packaging is reusable and made by the same women who are making the organic baby clothes.
“I molded my life experiences and talents together along with my passion to develop a brand I really believe in,” says Murphy. “I wanted to find a way to positively impact the earth and people in need while providing a fun product. I have that opportunity with Chapter One Organics.”
Chapter One Organics’ line includes onesies, tops, bottoms, rompers, dresses, bibs and blankets in a variety of styles including: Groovy, Alphabet Soup, Earthluxe and The Green Eaters collection.
Additionally, Murphy wrote a book, The Green Eaters - A Dream Comes True, under the Chapter One Organics umbrella. When researching materials to develop her clothing line, she found a problem with harmful pesticides in cotton crops and the effects of those pesticides on society as a whole. This sparked an interest in learning more about organic farming and the devastation factory farming brought to our ecosystem. After noticing there were not many books addressing these issues for children, she started writing based on her own childhood surrounded by family farms as well as a family trip she had taken with her husband and children. The animals she created for her book were happy, natural and free, the way nature intended. "The Green Eaters" promotes this message as well as an awareness for children to understand the value of positive choices from farm to plate.
Murphy also works with several organizations where her clothing samples and seconds are donated to families in need. Organic baby clothes samples and seconds are donated to the following associations: www.associationhouse.org, www.babybuggy.org and www.maggiesplace.org.
View her entire line at: www.chapteroneorganics.com.
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