Now open in San Carlos! After 14 years in San Mateo and 20 years online, Reach And Teach Books Toys and Fair Trade Gifts opened our shop at 1179 San Carlos Avenue @ Laurel Street on January 21st 2023. We have everything you loved about our shop in San Mateo with a whole lot more space! We hope you'll come check us out soon.
Reach and Teach - Books, Toys, and Fair Trade Gifts is a highly interactive and hands-on immersive environment focused on peacemaking, gender equality, and sustainable living.
The Reach and Teach story is about a "hope that does not disappoint" and heroism. The hope comes from an experience based conviction that we can substantively change our world for the better through persistent and consistent everyday and ordinary actions and modified consumer behavior along with many other people who are doing the same. The heroes in our story are our customers because they are the ones who have made a decision to act differently to affect positive change in the world. They are the ones who want to find a meaningful gift that also makes the world a better place. They are the ones willing to make lifestyle changes to reduce their use of plastic and other consumables. They want to reduce their use of toxic chemicals. They want the producers of the chocolate, coffee, teas, and toys and gifts they buy to be treated fairly and to earn a liveable wage. They don't want these producers to be exposed to dangerous working conditions and toxic chemicals. They want our planet to thrive for generations to come.They see, buy, and fly a progress pride flag. They want their friends to experience this space badly enough to bring them in. They are often better sales people than we are when new customers come in and they excitedly say "Oh, you're really going to love this place" or "You really ought to check this out".
Each of our products has a story behind it and our customers find themselves touched by each story. In this way, Reach and Teach's products will transform our customer through story even as our customer transforms the world starting but not limited to their purchases in our shop. They feel compelled to return again and again because this place consistently causes them to feel more peaceful, more hopeful about the world, and empowered to make the world an even better place. They have fun, they play, they laugh, and they smile. Many of our customers will learn and pass along the stories they have heard at Reach and Teach. In this way, Reach and Teach products carry stories of peace and positive change out into the world.
