Buying Doodads, Doing Good

Dannielle S, recently published a thoughtful article challenging the need to give "things" or "doodads" for Christmas.  There are many ways to express love, appreciation, and gratitude without adding clutter to our lives or doing damage to the planet.

Some Thoughts on Gifts by Dannielle S.

I heartily support the substitution of charitable donations and contributions for holiday gifts of useless items, but I know that many folks find it hard not to give "things".  Sadly, the demand for doodads will decrease slowly.

Thus, I am drawing attention to ways in which all of us who feel compelled to give "things" can do so in ways that multiply benefits instead of costs.

Ten Thousand Villages is a non-profit, fair trade business that provides world-wide markets for hand-made items made by artisans in impoverished areas of the world.

Ten Thousand Villages

If you hate history, you can skip this section.  But it is a fascinating illustration of how a good idea becomes an international business.

Quoted from the Ten Thousand Villages Website: 

"In 1946, Edna Ruth Byler, a volunteer for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), visited an MCC sewing class in Puerto Rico. What she discovered was extraordinary embroidered pieces, hand sewn by local women. What she also found was many of these talented craftspeople lived in poverty. She realized that if these women had more places to sell their wares, their lives would improve.

Edna Ruth brought some pieces home to Akron, Pennsylvania to sell to friends and neighbors. Their popularity inspired her to add cross-stitch from Palestinian refugees and hand-carved Haitian woodenware all sold from the trunk of her car. She became affectionately known as the "Needlework Lady". Her business of helping others' businesses grew. Stores began to dotting the country. Now, Ten Thousand Villages retail network connects North American consumers with the handicrafts and stories of tens of thousands of artisans worldwide."

If you are interested in Fair Trade, here is a link:

 International Fair Trade Association

 IFAT members agree that fair trade is an alternative approach to conventional international trade. It is a trading partnership aimed at sustainable development for excluded and disadvantaged producers.

Here are some things available from Ten Thousand Villages:

 Inexpensive gifts include a river stone painted with goldfish and lacquered many times for a clear strong finish, from viet Nam:

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A handmade ceramic piggy bank from Chile:

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A terra cotta elephant from Bangladesh:

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Items costing about $25-$35 include:

 Cloth bark Purse with Lizard design from Uganda:

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A colorful shoulder Bag from Guatemala: 

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 A brief case from Viet Nam:

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The msot expensive items, around $40-$45 include hand-made, hand-painted kites from Bali:

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The blessings of Christmas are not material, nor can any amount of gifts satisfy a deficiency of care, attention, and love.

But, for hearts overfolowing with generosity and affection, some giifts are blessings.