Fair Trade
Dear Friends,
On behalf of Ten Thousand Villages and the artisans we serve in over thirty countries, thank you for the very warm hospitality we received during our visit to Old St. Pat’s on Sunday, Dec. 11. The community was very supportive of the event, with sales of more than $9,000. This translates into nearly eight jobs for artisans for one year. That’s an amazing gift to give to someone for Christmas.
As Fr. John Cusick was sharing his Christmas story, I was reminded of Yanina of Peru who works with the artisan group Manos Amigas. This past spring she visited the Ten Thousand Villages headquarters in Akron for the managers’ workshops and participated in the closing ceremony. She brought out a ceramic globe painted with the name of Ten Thousand Villages, pierced with star shaped holes. The room was dark. She lit a candle and placed it under the globe, causing small rays of light to illuminate the many faces around her. She said simply, “Before fair trade, we were living in darkness. Now we have light.”
Because of the support Old St. Pat’s gives to Ten Thousand Villages, we are able to bring light into the darkness of peoples lives. A blessed New Year to you and your congregation.
Peace and Joy,
Vincent
Education Associate,
Ten Thousand Villages