Fair trade sale goes online
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The Ten Thousand Villages Simcoe Festival Sale has a new name and a new way for shoppers to purchase goods.
The event, typically held in person during the month of October, has been running for 35 years.
The Ten Thousand Villages Canada organization closed operations in late 2019 but a new source of fair trade handicrafts and food was developed. Newly-renamed as the Simcoe Fair Trade Sale, this event will continue its support of providing fair trade products to the Simcoe community by going online in 2020.
“This restructuring of Ten Thousand Villages in Canada combined with the reality of coronavirus in 2020 has made for unique challenges for volunteers of the six churches that work in collaboration to host the sale,” Gordon Potts, one of the organizers, said in a press release. “The committee has refocused its efforts with a new name Simcoe Fair Trade Sale and an enthusiasm to make this online sale work in Simcoe.”
An order form can be found by searching Simcoe Fair Trade Sale 2020 on Facebook. There are over 700 items available. Forms must be completed and returned by Oct. 30.
Free shipping of submitted orders will be provided to Simcoe for customers to pickup the orders at First Baptist Church on Saturday Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Payment will be required upon pickup.
All products on the website are through fair trade organizations, including Ten Thousand Villages USA. Each fair trade product reflects the traditions and creativity of its maker and helps artisans and their families survive. The website includes hand-made products such as musical instruments, toys, pottery, jewelry, baskets, hand-loomed textiles and Christmas décor from skilled artisans in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.
All proceeds from the Simcoe Fair Trade Sale supports fair trade organizations working with artisans in the developing world, with over $20,000 being raised last year.
For more information on Simcoe Fair Trade Sale, please contact Gordon Potts at 519-427-4907 or at simcoefairtrade@gmail.com.
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