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. My grandma was Edna Ruth Byler, and that section of the basement was the beginnings of what grew to be Ten Thousand Villages.

In 1946, Edna accompanied her husband, Joe, to Puerto Rico. There the Mennonite Central Committee workers showed her the fine needlework the women in Puerto Rico were making and asked her to find a way to market the pieces in the United States. She did.

She carried the embroidered samples in the trunk of her car and traveled to churches showing the handmade items and telling the stories of the artisans. Within a few years, she acquired additional hand-carved woodenware from Haiti and cross-stitch needlework from Palestinian refugees.

She later opened a gift shop in her basement. She loved showing customers the beautiful items and telling the stories of how they were made. For 25 years, Grandma traveled from the south to Canada and from coast to coast to introduce people to these handmade items and telling the stories of the people who made them.

When I lived in Houston, I volunteered at the Ten Thousand Villages in Rice Village, served on the Board of Directors as Secretary, then Vice-President, and finally President. Before considering a move to the Portland area I first checked to make sure there was a store nearby. As I unpack boxes at Ten Thousand Villages in Portland, OR, I am reminded of filling boxes so many years ago in Grandma’s basement in Pennsylvania.

As I help customers find a gift or tell them something about an item that they are appreciating, I feel a connectedness to the many people who work to bring these handmade goods to buyers and a very special connection to my grandma.

This Saturday marks a big day for fair trade as a cause and as a global community.  May 9th is World Fair Trade Day and this year the community is celebrating with a Fair Trade Coffee Break. Everyone across the globe is encouraged to take their breaks from work and life with Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate or whatever else helps you unwind. Fair trade businesses and affiliates in over 80 countries are participating in this event by sponsoring everything from drum circles to soccer games to storewide sales.

According to The Fair Trade Resource Network, “When we support Fair Trade, we not only support the people who make the items we consume and enjoy, we also support the environment, women’s rights, children’s rights, cultural dignity and peace building.” This day is about supporting a cause bigger than ourselves.

Get Involved with these Oregon Events:

Ten Thousand Villages Portland: 938 NW Everett Street Portland, OR

Ten Thousand Villages Portland, located in the Pearl District, will be offering samples of Fair Trade coffee, chocolate and olive oil, as well as featuring local music and speakers on fair trade issues. Plus, everything in the store is on sale, including its large selection of fair trade oriental rugs.

Onda Gallery: 220 SW A Street Suite 104 Lake Oswego, OR

Through the month of May, Onda Gallery is sponsoring an art show featuring Fair Trade artists and artists that specialize in the use of recycled materials. They will be serving fair trade coffee as refreshments.

Java Jones Coffee Shop: 757 Newmark Ave Coos Bay, OR

Free fair trade coffee from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on May 9^th at Java Jones Coffee shop, as well as live music and a booth offering information on a variety of fair trade products and organizations.

Small Planet Trading: 202 Cascade Avenue Hood River, OR

Starting at 11 a.m., Small Planet Trading will be hosting a drum circle for the public to join in on. After, they invite you to take a fair trade break with them as they offer a sale in their store.

For more information check out the Fair Trade Resource Network at http://www.fairtraderesource.org/