Gifts That Keep on Giving

They always say that giving is better than receiving. This year, how about getting that extra-warm glow inside from buying gifts that benefit more than just your loved ones. When you give a Fair Trade gift, you  empower farmers and artisans with dignified work, and adequate incomes to access nutrition, health care, education for their families. You change lives.

Fair Trade San Diego would like to make your holiday shopping easy by providing you with a quick and easy list of where you can find Fair Trade here in San Diego and online!

Shop Fair Trade in San Diego
North Park Alternative Gift Fair – Dec 11 : Our Savior's Lutheran Church 4011 Ohio Street 10am – 2pm
Around The World Gifts (kiosk in Horton Plaza)
Open Door Books

Fair Trade Online
Alternative Gift Guide
Give Fair Trade
Seven Hopes United (a San Diego company)
Exotic World Gifts (a San Diego company)

Marcie Sweets (a San Diego company)

Amnesty International

Fair Trade Marketplace

Global Exchange

SERRV

Ten Thousand Villages

World of Good

***FACEBOOK CONTEST***
After all this Fair Trade shopping, you are probably secretly hoping to have a few of these unique and meaningful items for yourself.  We have good news for you.  By simply telling Fair Trade San Diego what is on your Fair Trade Wish list this year, you have a very good chance of winning $40+ in Fair Trade goodies. Click for Facebook Contest details.

A very successful Fair Trade event, hosted by the Social Ministry Group at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, was held on November 14 in La Mesa. A wide variety of gift items, all Fair Trade certified, were available for purchase from the eight  vendors that participated.  The event was well publicized in the La Mesa Community and, as a result, the attendance was excellent. In addition to purchasing items, those attending became more aware of what fair trade is and how each purchase represents a way to bring an end to poverty and exploitation of workers in developing countries. Fair Trade San Diego had a table with brochures about Fair Trade and special t-shirts. The vendors expressed appreciation for the opportunity to share their mission through their products.  All have asked to come back next year!

Participating vendors were:  The Guatemala Project, The Tomorrow Project (agency of Catholic Charities), Plant With A Purpose, Work of Human Hands, The Purpose, Invisible Children, Cafe Virtuoso.

Reverse Trick or Treating

This was St. Martin of Tours School second year to participate in reverse trick or treating and the boys were very comfortable "reversing the treat," explaining the plight of third world cocoa farmers, and encouraging people to look for the fair trade symbol on chocolate they may purchase in the future. Before we went out, each of the five boys in our group took a stack of cards with chocolates attached and put them in their treat sacks. The only instructions were that they take turns reversing the treat whenever they felt they were ready. Whoever presented the treat did all the talking, but each of the boys chimed in to answer questions or help with a forgotten detail. They began always by saying, "Thank you for this treat, now we have one for you." Neighbors were charmed by this approach. They listened politely, asked questions, and congratulated the boys for the way they handled themselves. Everyone wanted to know what school they attended and the boys shouted in unison, "St. Martin of Tours Academy in La Mesa!"