By Diane Bender
When I was a young girl growing up in Kansas I loved going to Pennsylvania in the summer to visit my grandparents.
Their basement had two sections: one with Grandpa’s tools, which was interesting but untouchable, and one with Grandma’s beautiful handmade items from around the world that begged to be touched.
My sister and I helped pack the boxes that were to be shipped to various places in the United States.
I’d been volunteering with Ten Thousand Villages for several years before I really caught the fair trade bug.
Of course, I loved Villages (what’s not to love?) for its mission, the products, the other volunteers and the staff.
But it wasn’t until I read a Nicholas Kristof column that I felt an urgency around fair trade.
Growing up in a family of seven, sisters Beth Kapsch and Kristi Jo (KJ) Lewis know what it’s like to relate to others for the good of the community. Each grew up and dedicated their lives working with women and family policy issues and equitable international development. Beth worked at the Oregon Commission on Children and Families [...]
For just a couple extra dollars than your average American candy bar, you can purchase a delicious, fairly-traded gourmet chocolate bar that not only satisfies your taste buds, but leaves you feeling guilt-free about the labor that went into making the sweet delectable. Equal Exchange, a Co-op that sells various food items from chocolate, tea [...]
Portland is a rare gem of a city. Lovingly nicknamed the Bridge City, Rose City, PDX, and Stump Town, Portlanders love to share why Portland is the place to be. Portland has been named numerous times in travel magazines as one of the best cities to live, from its artsy culture to tech savvy inhabitants. So what [...]
Fair Trade Day Coffee May 9th Oregon podcast welcome Ten Thousand Villages Portland Add new tag Fair Trade