CEPA September 2025 Update: Growing Partnerships on Campuses

A message from our friends at the Catholic Ethical Purchasing Alliance (CEPA):

Across the country, Catholic schools and universities are joining a growing movement to align their purchasing with their values—choosing products that support fair wages, safe workplaces, and sustainable practices. Through the Catholic Ethical Purchasing Alliance (CEPA) and our partner Ethix Merch, students and staff are shifting departmental orders to vendors committed to people and the planet. This work is helping Catholic institutions see how their everyday purchases can uplift workers and communities—an effort made more visible thanks to the advocacy of the Labor 411 Foundation.

In California, students at Presentation High School in the San Francisco Bay Area successfully encouraged their spirit shop to carry ethically sourced, student-designed t-shirts. Other schools, including Loyola High School in Los Angeles and St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco, have made similar commitments, while programs at Georgetown University, University of Dayton, and Loyola University Maryland have also increased their purchases from ethical vendors. These growing partnerships are helping students see their own role in shaping more just and sustainable supply chains.

CEPA’s campus outreach has been made possible by Ethix Merch—especially Ethical Purchasing Program Coordinator Alayna Milby—and the support of Labor 411. Together, we are making ethical purchasing more accessible and visible in the Catholic school community, proving that shifting institutional spending can be a powerful way to stand with workers and protect our planet.