Compassion

We give those with whom we find ourselves every consideration.  We listen to each other.  We observe. We gather information.  We strive toward understanding. We believe we all deserve to live lives free from want and violence, that we all deserve to be loved and to be loving. We do not believe that our needs and our paths to actualization are the same.  We know that the “right” path forward isn’t always easy to spot. We commit to doing the work and trying our best.

Equity

East Fork acknowledges that white supremacy and the systemic oppression of People of Color have manifold implications for the health and wellness of people and our planet.  We commit ourselves to engage with our own business and our community through an equity-minded lens and to do what we can to make our business and our community actively anti-racist. We acknowledge the ways in which a culture of consumerism perpetuates systemic oppression. We commit ourselves to collaboratively finding and executing creative, radical, and viable solutions. 

Sincerity

We speak honestly and from our hearts.  We share our own stories and create or extend space for others to share theirs. We believe in impact over the intention. We honor the power of speaking the right words at the right time.  We choose ours carefully and reverently. We are vulnerable but cautious. We think critically about when to speak and when to listen.  We do not mistake sincerity for sharing everything that crosses our minds. We make honest, thoughtful objects with a  clear purpose. We sell our objects honestly and thoughtfully.
 

Accountability

We recognize that we can and we will be wrong. That new information, time, new levels of understanding asks us to challenge our previously-held opinions. We recognize our mistakes, but we don’t wallow in them. When this happens, we take accountability, knowing full well that owning our missteps is the first and best corrective action. We hold ourselves and our vendors accountable up and down our supply chain.  Accountability is a tool we use to build our own professional capacity, and invite the people around us into trusting and participating in that process. Accountability is the way we demonstrate consideration to ourselves and to our team members. 

Adaptive Tenacity

We commit to our goals and stick to that commitment with a spirit of open-hearted and earnest striving. We are stubborn in our will to accomplish, but flexible in our approach to get there. We do more with less. This requires a strong sense of collaboration, and an ability to understand our roles as fluid, but our mission as fixed. We react swiftly and smartly to changes in our supply chain.  Everyone on the team is learning and growing every day. We work in community, oriented towards a shared vision, and we maintain that sense of community with compassion, accountability, equity and sincerity.