Calvin Presents Fair-Trade Fair

November 30, 2007, Grand Rapids, Mich.—For the third consecutive year, the Social Justice Committee at Calvin College will sponsor its holiday fair of fair-trade handicrafts (and coffee) from around the world.

"Presents With Presence" will take place from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday, December 4-5 in the Hekman Library lobby.

"We thought it was a great way to raise awareness about fair trade: what it is and how important it is," said SJC co-chair Amy Jonason, an organizer of the sale. "All of the vendors are great about talking about why they're in this business and how it helps the people that they work with."

The fair will feature a mélange of goods from nine vendors, all priced to benefit the original makers of the items.

One standout among the vendors will be a woman known as Senor Miguel, the mother of an alumnus, who crochets handbags out of plastic grocery bags from Meijer. "Every year, we like to find some people who make handicraft items out of recycled material, and Senora Miguel is our representative of that tradition," said Jonason.

Another standout vendor served as the impetus for the entire Presents With Presence institution: Saugatuck-based Otavalito, which has been selling handmade fair-trade scarves, sweaters, hats and gloves from Ecuador at Calvin for years.

For the full story see http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2007-08/fair-trade-fair.htm

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