Saturday, September 11, 2004
Throw a Dinner Party People Will Remember
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(ARA) – Summer will be here before you know it and a lot of people will be hosting dinner parties. Some will be forgotten the next day; others will make a lasting impression.
Anne Burd, 60, of Reading, Pa., says people are still talking about the party her daughter hosted shortly after she gave her an unusual gift -- a serving set handcrafted by artisans in a third world country. The matching serving platter, tea kettle, cups, creamer and salad plates feature a design with dragonflies and cherry blossoms. They were hand-painted by residents of Bat Trang, a small village in Vietnam. Burd found the set at the Lutheran World Relief Festival at her church -- Trinity Lutheran in Robesonia, Pa. "I bought the set not only because the pieces are beautiful, but because I wanted to help the artists," says Burd.
The artists Burd refers to are participants in the Lutheran World Relief Handcraft Project -- a program designed to make sure the artists get a fair price for their work, thanks to a way of doing business known as "fair trade." According to Jonathan Frerichs of LWR, artisans in third world countries who make things we buy "receive only a few pennies of each dollar we pay for their handcrafts. The profits go to the middlemen. That's not fair," he says, "but fair trade treats low-income producers as business partners and trades directly with them."
"After hearing about the abuses and effort to set things right, members of my congregation got fired up," says Burd's pastor, Rev. Michael Peters. "They wanted to do something to help." So the congregation organized a carnival that was not just about fun and games, but sent a message.
In addition to collecting donations at the game booths, they also raised money by selling Fair Trade Handcrafts, like the ones Burd bought, as well as Fair Trade coffee and chocolate. Altogether, Trinity Lutheran Church raised a little more than $10,000 for Lutheran World Relief at their carnival.
"Supporting small farmers and artisans through Fair Trade projects like these makes a big difference. Fair trade guarantees them a fair price for their products, offers credit they can afford and helps them improve their communities," says Frerichs. "By supporting fair trade, we make choices in line with our religious beliefs, use our consumer dollars wisely, and affirm the dignity of the people who make the things we buy."
Imagine that for a different dinner party.
"The crafts sold very well at our carnival, especially the items that can be used for entertaining," says Rev. Peters. "People bought a lot of baskets, table runners, placemats and coasters."
"Some people told me they are going to use the pieces they bought as hostess gifts the next time they host a party. Not only to say thanks for coming, but to send a message of support for the artists," says Burd. "Another lady told me she's going to put Fair Trade coasters on the tables as
favors at her daughter's wedding."
Their purchases will help people like Beatrice Nampinna, a basket weaver from Uganda, who says her life has improved significantly since she began participating in the project. "I earn enough for school fees for my children and other family needs," she says. "I no longer wrestle with finances as I know where to take my baskets to sell them."
"We open our homes to our guests. With thoughtful touches like these, we can also open their hearts to the world," says Frerichs. "Remembering others like this can make a dinner party hard to forget."
For more information about Lutheran World Relief's Fair Trade projects, or to find out how you can help the cause, log on to www.lwr.org and click on Fair Trade. Lutheran World Relief works with partners in 40 countries to help people build livelihoods, strengthen communities, grow food and recover from disasters.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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