You know how sometimes, someone seems to come along at just the right moment and provide you with exactly what you need? We usually don’t even have to tell them when we need them. They instinctively know when to be there. Someone even created a day of recognition for these folks. It’s known as Be An Angel Day, celebrated on August 22 each year.
Well, we here at Villages of Austin have had our own angel these days. His name is John Egan, and he lives right here in Austin, TX. He has written stories about Ten Thousand Villages of Austin and as a result, has generated a lot of great publicity for our store and for fair trade. He recently donated a brand-new all-in-one copier/scanner/fax machine to the store. We cannot thank him enough!
Saving the day is a full-time job, but John manages to find time to run the company he founded, UpWord Communications. He is a master wordsmith, and he uses his skills to help magazines, businesses, and non-profit organizations promote themselves effectively.
Thank you again, John, for all that you do!
Sincerely,
Ten Thousand Villages of Austin
Categories: FairTrade · Partners
Tagged: angel, fax, words
Saturday, May 10, is World Fair Trade Day, and the Fair Trade Resource Network has organized the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break! Ten Thousand Villages of Austin wouldn’t miss it - the coffee break will be held Saturday, May 10, at 2pm CST. Come by our “coffeehouse” for a cup of free, fair trade coffee courtesy of Texas Coffee Traders, and help us set a world record!
In addition to the World’s Largest Fair Trade Coffee Break, Ten Thousand Villages of Austin has quite a day planned for World Fair Trade Day! We’ll have live music in the store all day, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet people in our community who are spreading the mission of fair trade. Our schedule of events is below… hope to see you there! …Taylor
SATURDAY, MAY 10:
11:00AM - Daniel Reonidas
12:00PM - Elizabeth Rainey
1:00PM - Texas Coffee Traders - Learn about Fair Trade Coffee!
2:00PM - Todd Rusch
3:00PM - Wynn Taylor
4:00PM - Jackson Michael
5:00PM - Meg Johnson
6:00PM - The LP’s
Categories: Austin · Coffee · FairTrade
At Ten Thousand Villages of Austin, we’ve just gotten in a wide array of new items in our Lotus (blue and white home accents) collection. All fair trade, all handmade, all the time!
The lotus is revered because it is typically born out of muddy water, producing a beautiful bloom that unfolds at the dawn of each morning. It has become a symbol of peace and tranquility. Like the lotus flower, these new items can bring YOU peace and tranquility in your home!
Start your day right with yoga or meditation… This meditation pillow from Vietnam is made with handmade fabric and stuffed with kapok from trees found in the villages of Vietnam.
Has it been awhile since you sent a handwritten letter to an old friend? You can make your own ink with this calligraphy set from Vietnam, complete with brushes, paper and your own stamp.
May I take your coat? This beautiful hanger is carved from meh wood in Indonesia and is treated with teak oil.
How about a nice, soothing cup of tea? This handmade teapot from Nepal is finished with a blue, two-tone glaze and bamboo handle. Don’t forget the matching teacup set!
Also, don’t forget the cream and sugar… This handpainted set from Vietnam will complement your teapot quite nicely!
Shall we go sit in the garden? This handpainted ceramic garden stool from Vietnam is reminiscent of the Ming dynasty, adorned with a garden scene.
Hope to see you in the store very soon …Taylor
Categories: FairTrade · Products
It IS easy being green! Just ask the people who represented over 150 green businesses and organizations at the Austin Green Living Expo, held April 18-20 in Austin, TX. Our volunteers were instrumental in the process, helping us create the fantastic booth you see below…
We made lots of new friends, including Bark for Peace, a great organization committed to sustainable living “while loving and learning from dogs.” What a fun group!
We also connected with Katz Coffee. They can brew one mean cup o’ joe. Their goal is “perfection in every cup,” which starts at the source by using fair trade certified, “green” beans. You can even buy online. Might I recommend the Bat City Blend? A tribute to the great city of Austin, TX. Check them out!
Africa Bound, another new friend of Ten Thousand Villages, conducts tours all over Africa. They also sell neem oil and are in the process of creating an African village in Cedar Creek. Check back for more details!
The Expo was a great way to see how easy it can be to go green. There are so many ways to incorporate environmentally-friendly living into your lifestyle, you just have to find the ones that are right for you!
Ten Thousand Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth. We hope you’ll continue to spread our mission of fair trade. To those who purchased hand-made items from the artisans we work with, we hope you’re enjoying them! We were all sad to see the lion leave the store, but we’re confident he’s enjoying his new home.
Hope to see you in the store soon! …Taylor
Categories: Austin · FairTrade · Partners
In November of last year, Cyclone Sidr ravaged much of the landscape in Bangladesh. Over 3,000 people lost their lives and millions more were displaced. Many families were still rebuilding their homes and their lives after the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
The cyclone destroyed much of the rice harvest in Bangladesh, the world’s fourth largest producer of rice. As a result, its economy and food security are in jeopardy.
The American Red Cross is one of the world’s largest and oldest emergency response organizations. In January of this year, Ten Thousand Villages of Austin hosted a benefit day for the Red Cross, in which a percentage of our sales for that night went directly to the Red Cross. Ten Thousand Villages raised almost $2000 for cyclone relief.
Ten Thousand Villages of Austin is committed not only fair trade, but also to sustainability right here in our own community. If you are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and would like to host a benefit night at Villages of Austin, please feel free to contact us.
Til next time! …Taylor
Categories: FairTrade
This weekend, the 2008 Fair Trade Federation Conference will be held in Austin at the Wyndham Garden Hotel. All are welcome, and while there is a conference registration fee, there is a very exciting event at the conference that is FREE and open to the public!
On Saturday, April 5, from 3:30-6:00 PM, the conference will host a Fair Trade Expo where the public can purchase fair trade goods from 27 different FTF vendors. As a companion to that event, at 4:00 PM, Jackie DeCarlo, author of “A Beginner’s Guide to Fair Trade,” will be presenting an introduction to fair trade.
These are both very exciting opportunities for Austinites and anyone attending the conference! This conference has been held all over North America for nearly 30 years, so it’s very special to us here in Austin to be hosting this event.
Even if you can’t make it this weekend, you can still do your part to support fair trade. Visiting us at Ten Thousand Villages would be a great way to do just that. Or, when shopping around town, look for the logo!
Happy fair trading…Taylor
Categories: FairTrade
Jingle Jangle that’s the sound of bangles! Ten Thousand Villages traditional Indian glass bangles are back. Gone for a short time on backorder vacation, now appearing live at Ten Thousand Villages of Austin.
We are so excited to have these beautys back in the store; Teal, Green, Red, Blue -a set of nine with matching bags. “Wear six at a time, Each bag contains nine. Glass bangles will break, Three extras you take.”
As they say in Nepal, “The sound of bangles while women work is the sound of change.” So please come on in and make some change!
Kitty
Categories: FairTrade · Products
