Press release:
Come to the 13th annual Worldwide Christmas Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 14th, at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 300 E. Main St., Batavia. Admission is free.
Join the hundreds of people in the community who have attended our fairs over the past 12 years and see why supporting fair trade businesses and local and regional not-for-profit organizations has such a positive influence in our community and the world!
Our fair is unique in that all of our vendors have one thing in common -- they help other people in need here in Batavia, in Western NY and around the world through their sales.
We have three types of vendors at our fair:
- Local and regional not-for-profit organizations raising money for their programs or projects.
- The Artisans at North Street (www.ywcagenesee.org ), located at the YWCA in Batavia, will have hand crafted items from more than 30 local artisans. Your purchases support both the artisans and the work of the YWCA.
- Deborah Wilson Pottery will be available and supports Project Life in Waterport (www.projectlife-wli.org ). Project Life brings orphans, ages 9-12, from war-torn countries and areas such Chechnya, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Southeast Asia to Western New York for three months during the summer to provide peace, support, rest and recuperation for the children, to improve their physical and mental health, and to give them the opportunity to just be kids.
- Healthy Sisters Soup and Bean Works (www.healthysisters.org ) from Catholic Family Services in Rochester. This organization provides women in Rochester the opportunity to learn about running a business and enables them to obtain the experience needed to be successful in the work force. Their product is everything you need to make a pot of bean soup – the beans and spices, all neatly packaged with the recipe attached. They also have dip mixes for sale.
- Guatemala Missions – Members of the First Presbyterian Church will have handmade items for sale that support The Garden’s Edge (www.gardensedge.org), an organization that works to revitalize local culture and economy in Guatemala through projects in sustainable agriculture and environmental education.
- NEW! Coffee Connection (http://ourcoffeeconnection.org/) is a Rochester-based company that provides employment training and job creation for women in recovery from addiction and sells fair trade, organic coffee to retail and wholesale customers. In partnership with Project Empower, they provide comprehensive, continuous support for women on their journey toward sustainable recovery.
2. Home businesses. We have representatives from Kitcheneez and Avon. These women donate all proceeds from sales made at the fair to a local charity of their choice.
3. Vendors who promote and follow fair trade practices.
What are Fair Trade Practices?
Let’s look at one of our vendors to illustrate the concepts of fair trade: One World Projects (www.oneworldprojects.com ) is a fair trade company located on Harvester Avenue in Batavia. One World Projects was started in 1992 by Phil Smith. The mission of the company is to provide people in developing countries with the opportunity for economic sustainability and self-determination.
- They do this by building open and respectful relationships with the people they work with around the world;
- One World Projects purchases high-quality products that have positive social impacts and environmental benefits;
- They pay artisans fair wages for their work allowing them to provide for their basic needs such as: food, shelter, clothing, education, and health-care for their families;
- They provide financial and technical support to artisans by working with the artisans, suggesting product designs, improving artistic and technical skills, educating group leaders about the demands of the market;
- The support a safe and healthy work environment;
- They ensure the rights of children by not supporting exploitive child labor;
- They cultivate environmentally sustainable practices;
- And they reinvest in artisan groups and communities through economic programs and/or donations.
This is what it means to practice fair trade. One World Projects works with more than 80 artisan groups in more than 20 countries throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia. They sell hundreds of products and each item tells the story of the people who make them.
Other vendors who practice fair trade:
One World Goods (www.owgoods.org) from Rochester will have items from all over the world – jewelry, scarfs, handbags, mittens, toys, Christmas ornaments, decorative items, candles, and much more.
- Equal Exchange Coffee (www.equalexchange.coop) is a co-op from Massachusetts that sells coffee, tea and chocolate from around the globe.
- Dounya Kele, which means One World in the language of Burkina Faso in Africa – will have jewelry made of recycled glass by women in Ghana and Burkina Faso.
- In the Basket will have hand woven grass baskets in beautiful vibrant colors available. The baskets are woven by women in Swaziland and other countries in Africa. They are imported by a former Peace Corps Volunteer who continues to work to help alleviate poverty in Africa and improve the quality of life in the community she served.
Our fair provides the opportunity to purchase quality gifts and support all of these worthwhile causes.
This is not a fund-raising event for the church. We do not charge admission and we do not charge our vendors to participate.
Enjoy a delicious lunch of soups and sandwiches provided by our Presbyterian Women’s group and purchase wonderful baked goods provided by our youth and congregation. Again, all proceeds from food purchases are donated to charity.
Get your Christmas shopping started early and purchase gifts that make a difference!
