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5 Ways to Fair Trade

The CRS Fair Trade program helps bring the core values of our faith to the choices we make as consumers. When your parish make purchases from CRS’ fair trade partners, you support artisans and farmers, and provide economic opportunities for people living in poverty. For every purchase, our partners donate a percentage back to CRS to support artisan and farmer organizations overseas. Here are five simple ways to get fair trade going in your parish!

 

Bring faith formation to life through CRS Fair Trade resources for religious education programs, small faith-sharing communities and families.

  1. What is Fair Trade? Explains the basics of fair trade.
  2. The Parish Budget as a Moral Document reveals how and why parishes should engage in Fair Trade.
  3. Advent prayers, weekly reflections connected to the Gospel, and activities to help parishioners prepare their hearts and minds to receive Jesus!
  4. Live Mercy in the Marketplace: A faith sharing resource for small groups from Catholic Relief Services that forms, inspires, and prepares communities to show Christ’s compassionate love as consumers in a global economy.
  5. Catholic Social Teaching and fair trade resources.

 

Host a CRS Fair Trade Consignment Sale before and after Masses. Bring fairly traded art, jewelry, gifts, and housewares to your parish and teach parishioners about fair and ethical purchasing.

  1. Call 1.800.685.7572 or request a consignment information packet and order beautiful products from fair trade artisans through our partner Serrv at no cost to you!
  2. You’ll receive a 10% discount off of the retail price of all items. Only pay for shipping on items you do not sell.
  3. Check with your Pastor and request a CRS priest or deacon speaker to say the homily at Masses the weekend of your sale.
  4. Order CRS promotional/educational materials and work with your parish to plan and promote your sale.

 

Host a CRS Fair Trade Community Order and share fair trade with your small faith community, youth group, women’s group, senior group or other ministry. Raise awareness and funds!

  1. Call 1.800.685.7572 or request a free CRS Fair Trade Community Order packet online
  2. Round up all of the individual orders from your group, and place one order ($300.00 minimum). Make a 20% profit for your ministry!
  3. Receive your order in two weeks and invite everyone to pick up their order. Celebrate because you just supported artisans and farmers—and your ministry!

 

If you live near a Ten Thousand Villages store—participate in a CRS Fair Trade Community Shopping Event

  1. On October 16, 2015 encourage parishioners to shop at a Ten Thousand Villages store—a retailer of fair trade art, household items, jewelry, and gifts.
  2. Promote the event through your parish bulletin and encourage ministry groups to attend.
  3. Shop and learn about the artisans who made your purchase. A percentage of every purchase made that day will go to the CRS Fair Trade Fund to support artisans and farmers overseas.

 

Switch to fair trade coffee through CRS partner Equal Exchange or other CRS partners in your area.

  1. Call 774-776-7366 or use this link to shop. Be sure to select “Catholic Relief Services Fair Trade Program” when setting up your account so that your purchase can be counted!
  2. Educate your parish with free videos, print materials and programs from CRS.
  3. Sell fair trade coffee and chocolate and other snacks at regular parish sales or serve fair trade coffee at the rectory, at meetings, and at fellowship after Mass.
  4. Raise Money with the Equal Exchange fundraising program.
4 Comments
  1. Natasia Kissinger says:
    November 22, 2015 at 11:25 pm

    Hi
    I just learned about this program through Catholic Digest!!! I love all of the products and the entire concept. I wanted to check with you to see if there is a way to do this as a small business. I am a consultant with a direct sales company called Trades of Hope. However, I LOVE that this fair trade organization supports Catholic Relief. I’m a mom of 6 and very involved in the Culture of Life Movement in New Orleans. I would love to share these products at home gatherings or other gatherings as a business. I’m not sure if this is possible, but I thought I would ask. Thanks so much
    Blessings, Natasia

    Reply
    • Erin Mackey says:
      November 24, 2015 at 5:56 pm

      Hi Natasia,

      Thanks for reaching out! Glad to hear you found us through Catholic Digest. Our Community Orders program would be the closest way to hold sales at home gatherings but we do not have this set up like a small business. We would suggest trying out the community order model to see what you think. If you have any additional questions please feel free to email us at fairtrade@crs.org

      Reply
  2. Dan Ruggaber says:
    September 15, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    When will the Fall 2015 Catalog come out?

    Reply
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