<p><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chisty-asper-of-paper-baristas/id1517156345?i=1000634919232"></iframe></p>



<p>Can a maker make the world a better place, one gorgeous, handmade sheet of Fair Trade paper at a time? For Chisty Asper, the answer is a resounding yes — ;and her efforts involve so much more than simply donating a small percentage of her profits to charity. Instead, every last <a href="https://paperbaristas.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Paper Baristas</a> offering is brewed to do good by careful, complicated design.</p>



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<p>This Iowa house of paper has a lofty mission: Leave this earth better than its current state — ;emotionally, culturally and spiritually. By deeply aligning with <a href="https://www.ijm.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IJM</a>, a global non-profit that partners with communities to end modern slavery, exploitation and abuse, and employing survivors of sex trafficking in India, Christy and her husband Jon Marc help liberate people and families. </p>



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<p>In India, their employees, often victims of the Caste System, receive a living wage to up-cycle cotton rag discards into the brand&#8217;s wood-free, pollution-free paper. Plans are also underway to start a similar operation in Mexico.</p><div class="inline-post clearfix"><div class="see-also byline">See also</div><div id="block-wrap-65800" class="block-wrap-native block-wrap block-wrap-23 block-css-65800 block-wrap-classic columns__m--1 elements-design-3 block-ani block-skin-0 tipi-box block-wrap-thumbnail ppl-m-1 clearfix" data-id="65800" data-base="0"><div class="tipi-row-inner-style clearfix"><div class="tipi-row-inner-box contents sticky--wrap"><div class="block block-23 clearfix"><article class="tipi-xs-12 clearfix with-fi ani-base tipi-xs-typo split-1 split-design-1 loop-0 preview-thumbnail preview-23 elements-design-3 post-5820 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-celebrations tag-greeting-cards tag-happy-birthday tag-orange-is-the-new-black tag-sarah-schwartz tag-the-found tag-the-paper-chronicles" style="--animation-order:0"><div class="preview-mini-wrap clearfix"><div class="mask"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/happy-birthday/" class="mask-img"><img width="100" height="100" src="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=150%2C150&;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=200%2C200&;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=293%2C293&;ssl=1 293w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=75%2C75&;ssl=1 75w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=390%2C390&;ssl=1 390w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=585%2C585&;ssl=1 585w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=24%2C24&;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=48%2C48&;ssl=1 48w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/865_oitnb_front.jpg?resize=96%2C96&;ssl=1 96w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px" /></a></div><div class="meta"><div class="byline byline-2 byline-cats-design-4"><div class="byline-part cats"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/category/celebrations/" style="color:#b79b0d" class="cat">Celebrations</a></div></div><div class="title-wrap"><h3 class="title"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/happy-birthday/">Happy Birthday!</a></h3></div><div class="byline byline-3"><span class="byline-part date"><i class="tipi-i-calendar" aria-hidden="true"></i> <time class="entry-date published dateCreated flipboard-date" datetime="2014-08-20T13:32:17+00:00">August 20, 2014</time></span><span class="byline-part likes-count"><a href="#" class="tipi-like-count " data-pid="5820"><span class="likes-heart"><i class="tipi-i-heart-o" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="tipi-i-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="tipi-value">0</span></a></span></div></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div></tipimidc>



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<p>If you ever thought one person couldn&#8217;t change countless lives for the better, think again. For the 50 million people that IJM estimates are currently victims of modern-day slavery, freedom and safety are now that much closer, spurred on by every last Paper Baristas purchase. </p>



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<p>So while Christy&#8217;s exquisitely letterpressed, deckle-edged cards and planners are inspiring in and of themselves, her never-ending passion and dedication to this cause is legitimately awe-inspiring.</p>



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Christy Asper of Paper Baristas
