Posted December 12, 2007 --- 6:00 p.m.

The sweatshop scandal in the 1990's helped raise awareness about where our money goes when we shop.

Now, you can't flip through a magazine without seeing an ad where a portion of your money goes to a charity if you buy that item.

In this week's Hot Trends, Christine Bellport show us where you can "Shop with Heart" in the Madison area.

Shopping with purpose this holiday season is a hot trend and you can do it to the extreme at A Greater Gift.

They have 2 locations ... one on State Street and this one on Monroe.
Not only are you buying unique gifts from around the world, they go to individual charities that make them.

"I think we are starting to become aware that our consumer activity can influence far away places and how people live there."

If you buy the Labyrinth game for example, you are supporting Tara Projects. A group in Delhi that fights against child labor and works to improve the status of women there.

This Jelly from Africa helps children orphaned by AIDS and provides employment for women.

These gifts also provide a real connection for you to those around the world.

"Some woman in some small village in Peru that took the time to make all of this and it was a feeling of closeness with somebody in some other country that I didn't know her name, but I just felt really connected with it when I opened this box and first saw these dolls."

Their prices are very reasonable, so it really is a win-win for everyone involved.

For more information about 'A Greater Gift' CLICK HERE