Novelty

Do the Right Thing: Sinless Touch Getting Heat for Adopt-a-Child Program

By: Adrian Peterson

Posted: 08/15/2008

OLATHE, Kan. - Sinless Touch, an online novelty boutique which runs a philanthropic program with the aim to help eliminate poverty and illiteracy, is getting heat from the public for its charitable Adopt-a-Child program, said Jessica Blake, Sinless Touch's vice president of corporate communications.

"We have received numerous complaints and a lot of organizations are threatening to sue us," Blake said. "We will not back down and continue our noble cause because we believe in creating a standard for the future."

The online retailer has been the subject of public outcry as people are calling for them to shut down the program, saying it is wrong and out of place for Sinless Touch to take on such a compassionate cause. The program calls for customers to donate the "spare change" made from their purchases to a charity benefiting the foundation of early childhood education in developing nations. As a result, nonprofit organizations are threatening legal action if the program is not scrapped.

"People are being shortsighted and irrational," Blake said. "It's never unethical nor inappropriate to help. Just because we sell adult toys, it doesn't mean we're heartless. We want to change the negative perception the adult novelty industry received in the past. We know we're doing the right thing."

"We knew that our charity program will raise a lot of eyebrows, but what the people don't see is that we're not different from the other industries. We will never waver in our commitment just because people view it differently," said Jerome Daniels, communications director of Sinless Touch.

In response to the question of the controversial alliance, Daniels previously said, "We know we're doing the right thing."