Posted on August 21st, 2014 by Courtney
The sacrament of marriage calls us to serve others. You can live out this important dimension of our faith by supporting companies that respect people and the environment during your wedding celebrations. This page will provide you with some practical ideas for incorporating fair trade into your special day. For additional resources on planning your ceremony, please check out our My Fair Wedding Pre-Cana Flyer or visit the USCCB’s webpage on marriage. Fair Trade and Conflict Free Wedding Jewelry In developing countries, the wealth created by mining metals and minerals generally fails to benefit local communities and often devastates the poor. Make a commitment as a couple to uphold the dignity of every human life and care for creation by purchasing diamonds that
Posted on August 14th, 2014 by Courtney
This Christmas, give the gift of hope with Catholic Relief Services’ Gift of Hope Tree alternative giving activity! Click here for additional resources to help your family and parish prepare for the birth of Jesus this Advent! Gift of Hope Tree Activity The Gift of Hope Tree activity invites children and families to reflect on how Christ was born into poverty, and how this relates to the reality of many other families around the world today. Participants will consider what gifts the Holy Family might have needed and how those gifts compare to what people who live in poverty might need. They will assemble Gift of Hope Tree ornaments, which feature donations in the form of gifts, allowing CRS to provide
Posted on May 14th, 2014 by Courtney
In 2003, we founded Grounds for Change with the mission to create a coffee roasting business that supports social equity and environmental sustainability, while still meeting the high quality standards of a specialty coffee roasting business. Attention to the social, environmental and financial impacts of conducting business forms the foundation of Grounds for Change. Every single bean we roast is fair trade certified, organic certified, carbon free certified, and shade grown. This translates to the possibility of a real livelihood for coffee growers, a breath of fresh air for the planet, zero net carbon emissions from “crop to cup” and healthy forests for migratory songbirds. We have also forged relationships with like-minded organizations, always striving to deepen our commitment to our core values of sustainability and social justice. Our partnership with
Posted on May 1st, 2014 by Courtney
Recently our team participated in a Fair Trade Campaigns gathering in Philadelphia. Gathered together at the Friends Center were folks from Media, PA, the first Fair Trade Town, folks representing fair trade organizations like Ten Thousand Villages, consumer advocacy groups like Green America, and students and faculty. The energy and enthusiasm in the room was palpable. I participated in a round table with representatives from colleges and universities that had recently obtained or were working toward Fair Trade University status. Students from Manhattan College, Cabrini College and Villanova University gave eloquent advice to other students and faculty pursing Fair Trade College status. “Start with your mission statement,” suggested Atiya Raja as she eloquently rattled off the LaSallian Catholic principles that shape education at
Posted on April 2nd, 2014 by Courtney
Two weekends ago I had the great honor of being a part of the most recent CRS Fair Trade Ambassador Training. From March 21-23 a wonderfully diverse group of 24 adults from across the nation joined to become CRS’ most recent volunteer advocates, committing to share the works of CRS and fair trade. As always, it was a full weekend – from sessions on fair trade, Rice Bowl, advocacy, and relationship building, to Mass, a very late dinner in Fells Point, and a fantastic tour of SERRV, there was not a moment unfilled. For me personally, the tour through SERRV was a highlight for a number of reasons. As a long time Ambassador, I cannot count the times I have called SERRV to
Posted on March 5th, 2014 by Courtney
“For Lent, For Life.” Sound familiar? That’s probably a good thing—after all, it is on the top of this year’s rice bowl! (Don’t have a rice bowl? Not to fear! Order here.) There’s a reason it’s written in such a prominent place, though, and it’s not just because it’s catchy. Lent is a spiritual journey, a time of self-reflection, a time to open ourselves to those hidden places in our lives where God might be at work. Most importantly, Lent is an intentional journey—we don’t just forge ahead without glancing at the map first. And more than glance, we actually plan. The Church traditionally looks to three Lenten pillars—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—to guide us in our quest. As we progress
Posted on February 26th, 2014 by Courtney
We buy. We purchase. We spend. Sometimes our money goes to more honest needs, like our grocery bills or mortgage. But often our money equally goes to materialistic wants. So what if I told you that your purchases, both need and want based, could help provide power to an individual, family, or community? If that coffee you buy tomorrow is fair trade, then it turns out you can. The benefits of buying fair trade are endless! It has the potential to create responsible economic growth, educate children, and support a family. Yet I never truly understood how personal this was to me until I started working with CRS as a Student Ambassador. It was through this program that I was
Posted on February 24th, 2014 by Courtney
Last fall we said goodbye to Jackie DeCarlo after seven years on the Economic Justice Team at CRS. Today, we’re happy to welcome on board Simone Blanchard as our new Economic Justice Program Manager. Simone has also served CRS for over seven years. She has worked as a Relationship Manager in CRS’ Southeast regional office, where she led the promotion of fair trade and advocacy for the region. She has also previously served as the manager of our Haiti Partnership Unit and as Program Specialist for the Partnership and Capacity Strengthening Unit, writing and researching for CRS’ large scale initiatives. She holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs and Development from Clark Atlanta University. Read on for her reflection about
Posted on January 21st, 2014 by Courtney
CRS Fair Trade Ambassador Janet Berna had the opportunity to travel to coffee farms in Peru with CRS Fair Trade partner Dean’s Beans. This is part 3/3 in a reflection series on her travels. You can also view a photo slideshow of her trip here. The following day, we had a meeting with the Mayor of Lamas where we learned about the communities’ desire to increase tourism for the region. After this we went to the cocoa farms and had a frank discussion with cocoa farmers and their families. When asked if the children helped on the farms, a farmer responded, “When the children get home from school, they need to study. Education is most important.” It felt like such an affirmation on
Posted on January 16th, 2014 by Courtney
Wondering where to find fair trade olive oil to make your CRS Rice Bowl recipes come to life this Lent? Our partners at Higher Grounds, Equal Exchange and SERRV have you covered! Be sure to care for God’s creation by ordering from the partner nearest you to cut down on carbon emissions. If you let them know you were referred by CRS, a portion of your sale will be donated back to the CRS Fair Trade Fund! Higher Grounds: Located in Michigan, Higher Grounds Trading Co. is fueled by its social mission to advance economic justice worldwide. Their fair trade extra virgin olive oil is sustainability sourced from Palestinian farmers practicing organic growing techniques used for generations. At harvest, the olives are hand-picked then quickly pressed
