Kathy Dubel, who lives in Elmira, NY, became a certified CRS Fair Trade Ambassador in June 2007. Like Gloria, our Day 3 honoree, Kathy has been involved with Catholic Relief Services for awhile, serving as the CRS Diocesan Director for the Diocese of Rochester. In both these roles, Kathy has done a great deal to recruit and train new supporters of CRS Fair Trade. For example, parishes in this diocese are encouraged to form Global Solidarity teams for people to bring their experience, concerns and gifts to serve others. Kathy’s orientation for these teams includes information about Catholic Social Teaching, global poverty, economic justice, as well as concrete ways to promote CRS Fair Trade and other CRS programs. In addition to these formal efforts, Kathy finds creative ways to bring the Fair Trade message to many of her work activities: serving Fair Trade coffee at all gatherings, using Fair Trade handcrafts for “door prizes” at larger meetings, and giving Divine chocolate as gift samples to staff during visits to parishes!

Here’s Kathy and fellow Ambassador Abby doing a role play on life as a coffee farmer.