Global Gift Fair

This year’s Global Gift Fair will be held in the Social Hall on Sunday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come and purchase handmade items from organizations that help people in need. Gift responsibly!

Vendors this year include:

Under One Roof (Self-Sufficiency Program of SAYFSM)

This organization is for African immigrant women living in the TC metro area. The women are provided support that empowers them to take control of their lives, boost their self-esteem, and improve their mental and physical health. The program offers women classes in sewing/quilting, spinning/weaving, and health education. They learn to make table runners, pot holders, bowls, purses/bags, quilts and wall hangings. They sell their items at WELCA gatherings, churches and holiday boutiques. Fifty percent of the sale price goes to the woman who made the item and fifty percent goes back to the program to purchase materials.

Mano a Mano

Mano a Mano started over twenty years ago by a Unitarian couple who wanted to make a difference in Bolivia. They started by sending excess medical equipment that would have ended up in US landfills, but were highly valued in Bolivia. Since that time clinics, schools, roads, wells and greenhouses have been added to the tasks accomplished. A center for sustainable agriculture began recently as Bolivia is at the forefront of global climate change. All of this has been done at the request of the local community with their active participation.

Native Harvest

Native Harvest is located on White Earth Reservation and home to the Ojibwe Tribe. They produce gourmet quality natural foods made and harvested on the Treaty lands in MN. The products are hand harvested by tribal members using traditional methods and practices. They also offer heritage gifts just for the holiday season. Native Harvest is dedicated to promoting a culture of sustainability on their land.

Books for Bassodawish

Welcome Jerde heads a group that helps provide books, school uniforms and science equipment for the secondary school in Bassodawish, Tanzania. They also provide menstrual kits for the girls so that they can attend school when they have their periods. The baskets on sale are made by women in the town of Karatu. You can also travel to Tanzania with the group on one of their service/safari trips.

UUSC Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) advances human rights through grassroots collaboration. In more than a dozen countries throughout the world, UUSC fosters social justice and works toward a world free from oppression. UUSC’s innovative approaches and measurable impact — in promoting economic justice, bolstering environmental justice, and protecting rights at risk — are grounded in the belief that all people have inherent power, dignity, and rights.

Frybread Love/Project Offstreets

Gayle Weigle works with at-risk youth in the metro area. The proceeds from the sales of many products is used to purchase clothing, food and other necessities.