Black Friday: Fair Trade goods offered in special sale by Carlsbad Mennonite Church

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Artisan story at Keya Palm project at Agailjhara, Barishal, Bangladesh. 26-27 th February 2012

"Everything is made in China," has certainly become a controversial statement since we learned of the Chinese-crafted uniforms that Team USA wore at the 2012 London Olympic Games, but it's no secret that the U.S. does import many valuable goods from other countries each year. And some of those treasures will be at Eddy County's disposal this Black Friday at The Carlsbad Mall.

Carlsbad Mennonite Church is partnering with Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade retailer, to provide disadvantaged artisans from 38 third-world countries with some additional income this holiday season. These artisans handcraft items such as soap, baskets, jewelry, pottery and Christmas ornaments, and they negotiate a fair price with Ten Thousand Villages to compensate for labor and materials.

For the last four years, Laura Rhodes and her 15-person team from Carlsbad Mennonite Church have been dedicated to helping these foreign artisans by bringing their items to sell in Carlsbad.

"We're not big enough to have a year-round store" like other cities, said Rhodes, but she and her team are doing what they can to generate business for the organization on the biggest shopping day of the year, Friday, Nov. 23, from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. and then again on Saturday, Nov. 24, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in one of the mall's empty rooms. Rhodes said that they receive about $4,000 worth of items to sell each year, and 10 percent of sales will be invested into local charities. The other 90 percent will

be sent to the Ten Thousand Villages headquarters in Pennsylvania, and will be distributed from there to the individual designers. The artisans receive more for their work by sending it to the U.S. than they would by selling it in their own countries.

"This work has helped to elevate my self-esteem, and to know as a woman that I can earn income and meet whatever goal is set in front of me," said Liliana Perez, an artisan in Guatemala who weaves scented trivets. Rhodes bought one of her items last year and said it puts off a wonderful smell when used.

As a shopper herself, Rhodes can attest to the fact that the handmade items are very unique and high-quality.

But not only are the items worthwhile: the cause is too.

Source: http://www.currentargus.com/ci_22004436/black-friday-fair-trade-goods-offered-special-sale?source=rss_viewed

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