A Fair Trade Venture for the Elkader Community by Joleen Jansen  11/4/08


Again this holiday season, our St. Joseph’s Elkader Peace and Justice Committee has ordered a consignment of fair trade gift Items, created by less fortunate artisans, from around the world.  The order was placed through Catholic Relief Services’ SERRV International who directly purchases the items from the artisans paying them a fair price for their products. 

Based on the success of previous year’s sales, this year, our group decided to once more locate the Elkader fair trade gift store, also known as, “A Greater Gift,” at the Staw Center, in downtown Elkader.  For a second time, building owner, Adam Pollock has generously donated the retail space. 

Patrons of the store will find the gifts to be beautifully hand crafted and unique. In addition, purchase of these items aids a person on to the road out of poverty.  My friend, fellow committee member and parish secretary, Sally McGreal, simply explains this value added purchasing power,   “Purchasing these gifts truly is the purchasing of greater gifts.” The Elkader fair trade store will also carry fairly traded coffee, tea, chocolate and cocoa.

The recent U.S. Government raid at the Agriprocessor’s slaughterhouse plant in Postville, IA, has provided a new fair trade opportunity for our fair trade store.  In addition to the consignment bought from SERRV, the store will also be stocked with hand woven and stitched products and jewelry made by a group seven Guatemalan woman living in Postville.

 Since the infamous government raid, this group of women has been required to wear ankle bracelets monitoring their whereabouts.  These mothers were arrested in the raid, but because their spouses were also arrested, jailed or deported, they have been temporarily allowed to continue residing in Postville with their children.  In order to not orphan the children affected by the raid the U.S. Government has allowed them to stay while they await a 2009 court date.   As a condition of their stay they must where ankle monitors, may not leave the town of Postville and are not allowed to be employed. 

 Our group is proud to carry these beautiful items made by local artisans.   Sally says, “We are so glad to sell their items because these ladies are our neighbors and we understand their circumstances and how desperate they are for income.  This is what fair trade gift shops are all about.” 

We so impressed by the skills possessed by these “local crafters.” Until the raid they did not have a chance to exhibit their talent.  Now out of necessity they are putting their skills learned in their native country of Guatemala to use.   We want to spread the word the best we can about the product of their wonderful skills.  I sincerely believe shoppers are going to be quite impressed by the line of purses, scarves and jewelry coming from the Guatemalan woman in Postville. 

The group also has made a line of symbolic ankle bracelets.  The color of the bracelets have various meaning.  A black bracelet represents May 12 the day of the raid, “the day was like the lights were turned off.” White represents their tears,  green represents hope, red represents wounded hearts,  pink for girl victims, blue for boy victims, and pearl represents St Bridget’s Catholic Church which, “has become their second home.” 

The Postville group will visit the Elkader store on Sunday November 30th to demonstrate their unique weaving and jewelry making techniques.

Beginning November 1st the Elkader fair trade store, A Greater Gift, is open in the Staw Center across from the Buttery on Bridge St. in downtown Elkader.  The hours of operation are Friday’s and Saturday’s from 10 am – 4 pm during November.  Beginning in December until Christmas the fair trade gift shop will be be open Thursday through Sunday from 10-4 pm.  The calendar of open hours can be viewed by visiting www.elkaderfairtrade.com.

The fair trade store organizers invite anyone from the community to help with the ecumenical community- wide operation.  Last year, many area residents signed up to help sell the fair trade gift items. 
 
 Can you help by working a few hours?  Please calls Sally McGreal at the St. Joseph’s Parish Center 245-2548 or Joleen Jansen at (563)245-1123 or respond by e-mail to stjoeelk@alpinecom.net.

                                                                                    
Postville women will demonstrate their weaving craft in Elkader during the Elkader Merchant Open House  11/20/08

The makers of the beautiful woven products, from Postville, for sale in the Elkader Fair Trade Gift Store, A Greater Gift, will be demonstrating their skill this Sunday November 30th from 1 pm to 4pm.  Everyone is welcome to watch this interesting and beautiful process.    The demonstration will be conducted in the Staw Center next to the fair trade store.  The event is in conjunction with the Elkader Merchant Open House occurring during the same time.

The group of Postville crafters is originally from Guatemala and out of necessity haven fallen back on a talent they learned in their native country.

 Since the infamous government raid, at the Agriprocessor’s plant in Postville, this group of women has been required to wear ankle bracelets monitoring their whereabouts.  These mothers were arrested in the raid, but because their spouses were also arrested, and then jailed or deported, the mothers have been allowed to temporarily continue residing in Postville with their children.  In order to not orphan the children affected by the raid the government has allowed them to stay while they await a 2009 court date.   As a condition of their stay they must where ankle monitors, and are not allowed to be employed. 

In order to pay their bills and feed their children this group of Guatemalan woman have formed a crafting group in which they hand loom woven products and make jewelry.

Sally McGreal a fair trade store organizer is excited to carry these beautiful items made by local artisans.  “We are so glad to sell their items because these ladies are our neighbors and we understand their circumstances and how desperate they are for income.  This is what fair trade gift shops are all about.”  The fair trade group is so impressed by the skills possessed by these local crafters.  “We want to spread the word the best we can about the product of these wonderful skills.” 

The group believes shoppers have already been quite impressed by the line of purses, scarves, clothing, hot pads, belts and jewelry coming from the Guatemalan woman in Postville.  “We know people are attracted to the quality and style of these really neat products produced by these talented artisans.  Not to mention it feels good to buy something for the right reasons.” says Joleen Jansen another organizer.  “These women are doing their best to help themselves in a desperate situation, in which they have very little control, and we are hoping to provide a good market for their product.” 

The fair trade group hopes shoppers will stop in during the Elkader Merchant Open House to watch the demonstration and support this effort. For more details visit www.elkaderfairtrade.com.