About 50 individuals across the U.S. have received training and certification to be CRS Fair Trade Ambassadors. CRS Fair Trade Ambassadors are special volunteers recruited to promote fair trade by organizing events in parishes and schools in their communities.
Volunteers Inspire Catholics to Support Fair Trade
The vision of CRS Fair Trade includes reaching millions of U.S. Catholics about the urgent need to work for global economic justice to confront poverty. Central to our work is the help of our many volunteers across the country serving fair trade coffee, organizing Work of Human Hands (WHH) craft sales, and selling chocolate through Raise Money Right fundraisers. Our faithful website users and Facebook Fans also expand our reach in helping others understand why purchasing and supporting fair trade is an important, significant way to act on Catholic values.
Each year CRS Fair Trade selects and trains “super volunteers” to become Ambassadors who commit to a year of intentional Fair Trade advocacy. Nineteen such volunteers were trained in May 2010 and are now certified as official CRS Fair Trade Ambassadors. Here’s a sample of the types of activities these Ambassadors initiated in their first month of service:
- Jeff Olsenholler of Omaha, NE talked to two regional institutes/retreat centers about carrying Fair Trade products.
- Nancy O’Byrne of St. Augustine, FL gave a presentation to a parish JustFaith group.
- Sue Amman of Grayling, MI, who regularly sells Fair Trade coffee at her parish, spoke to Parish Council at another church.
- Elizabeth Cole of Austin, TX set a goal of recruiting 100 Fans for the CRS Fair Trade Facebook page.
- Shelby Vaske of Paynesville, MN scheduled a Work of Human Hands summer craft sale at her parish.
- Elizabeth O’Neill of El Segundo, CA met with her CRS Diocesan Director to create an Action Plan.
- Bob Walz of North Branch, MN began recruitment for a parish Fair Trade Ministry team.
- Carolyn Trumble of Beaverton, OR confirmed her participation in the next Called to Witness trip to Bolivia and Peru with CRS and the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry.
We look forward to hearing more about the work of all of our Ambassadors. Their creativity and energy help us build an economy for everyone. You too can spread your support of CRS Fair Trade by using our free “I’m a Fan” stickers. Write on our Facebook wall or write us to request your own!
Fair Trade Sweethearts: Carmen Graciaa and Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Atlanta, GA
Raising Money Right for a Neighboring School Damaged by Floods
We salute “Fair Trade Sweethearts” Carmen Graciaa and Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Catholic School in Atlanta, GA for holding a Raise Money Right chocolate fundraiser to help a neighboring school in need. Mrs. Graciaa, Religion Coordinator at IHM, says the Student Council raised over $300 selling CRS Fair Trade chocolate bars to help St. John Neumann Regional Catholic School (SJNRCS) in Lilburn, GA, which was damaged by flooding this past fall.
According to an article in The Georgia Bulletin on October 1, 2009, heavy rains caused the Yellow River to rise and flood St. John Neumann’s property and facilities. At least four inches flooded the first floor of the school and the church’s fellowship hall, and more than a foot of water covered the school gymnasium. The school was closed for at least 2 weeks for extensive clean-up and repair. Most of the damage done was to carpeting, furniture and gymnasium equipment.
Ms. Graciaa said IHM students wanted to do something to help, so she worked with the Student Council to organize a Raise Money Right fundraiser. “The students loved the milk and the dark chocolate, which was a real surprise to me. They actually only sold in the school to the students and in the front office, and the bars just sold themselves because it is such delicious chocolate…(S)ome people paid more or gave donations.”
Trained and certified as a CRS Fair Trade Ambassador, Ms. Graciaa understands the importance of purchasing Fair Trade products and ethical fundraising. Selling CRS Fair Trade chocolate not only helps your community raise funds for needed projects, it also helps cocoa farmers around the world earn a living wage and have a better life.
Carmen Graciaa, CRS Fair Trade Ambassador
Kevin Olin, CRS Fair Trade Ambassador in Apple Valley, CA, has organized several creative community events, including a fair trade scavenger hunt and a photo contest.
For the “Great Fair Trade Scavenger Hunt,” parishioners were invited to visit local grocery stories and merchants to try and find as many fair trade products as they could. They searched the aisles for the TransFair USA label, and then they wrote down their “finds” (product description, price, location and date).
To qualify for the Fair Trade photo contest, people submitted original photographs of subjects containing the words “Fairly Traded, “Fair Trade Certified,” or the TransFair USA label. Winners of these contests were awarded fair trade chocolate or gift certificates.
Mick Smith, a CRS Fair Trade Ambassador from Corte Madre, CA, is an active promoter of fair trade in the Diocese of San Francisco. Mick has given presentations and has hosted fair trade events at numerous parishes and schools throughout the diocese. One event where Mick participated was the University of San Francisco’s “Conscious Consumerism Boutique” last December. This was a two-day program to help people identify fair trade, environmentally friendly products and how to choose not to over consume. Mick sold CRS Fair Trade coffee and chocolate and talked to many participants about fair trade.
