Benevolent boutiquing

Need to go shopping but want to give something back while giving over your money? Log onto the Internet and head uptown.

Uptown Liz, a Sacramento-based online boutique, promotes products from companies that support charities.

Ramona Russell created the store (www.uptownliz.com) in the memory of her beautiful younger sister, Elizabeth “Liz” Overturf, who succumbed to breast cancer a few years ago at the age of 28. The site went live July 17, 2007, on what would have been Liz’s 30th birthday.

Liz was quite the fashionista and had wanted to open a boutique with her sister, so the site links to an array of trendy accessories and clothing. In addition, shoppers will find everything from flowers and sustainable shopping bags to DVDs and books. Represented on the site are nearly 50 charitable causes, such as the environment, autism, world hunger and, of course, breast cancer.

Russell (pictured) doesn’t sell the items or make a profit from their sales. Her mission is simply helping “build a bridge between compassionate consumers and companies in order to improve the world around us.” The store has received nothing but positive responses from the public.

Users can shop according to the products they need or their cause of choice, and they can see exactly which organization benefits and to what extent. Happy shopping!