Host a Holiday Bazaar with Gifts that Matter

WEST BRIDGEWATER, Massachusetts, September 23, 2013/3BL Media/ - America’s leading Fair Trade organization, Equal Exchange, is now making it easier than ever to stage a Christmas bazaar that is fun and benefits both your congregation and farming communities around the world. Their improved and expanded Fair Trade holiday bazaar program features hundreds of delicious, organic, fairly traded coffees, teas, chocolate and other foods. The program also features dozens of beautiful hand-crafted fairly traded gifts, tree-free wrapping paper, pre-made gift baskets and more.  

Equal Exchange has totally revamped their online store to make ordering easy and informative, and to enable ‘one-stop’ shopping. To aid those hosting bazaars the organization has added new specially tailored products, more advice, tip sheets, and display materials. Equal Exchange is also launching a contest for those hosting holiday bazaars; two lucky winners will receive $500 in free Equal Exchange products – no purchase required.

During the holidays we embrace our justice mission by supporting farmers who are building better lives for themselves and their children all over the world!” - Barbara Taylor, First Unitarian Universalist Church, Columbus, Ohio

Already more than 5,000 congregations and community organizations every year turn to Equal Exchange to supply their holiday bazaars. One reason for this strong interest is that for more than a decade a dozen national faith-based organizations such as Lutheran World Relief and the Presbyterian Hunger Project have partnered with Equal Exchange to encourage their constituents to support Fair Trade.  For example, Catholic Relief Services strongly supports Fair Trade because it provides an easy, yet powerful, way for congregations to  put their faith and values of fellowship and justice into everyday action. Fair Trade uses the power of everyday commerce to ensure that communities of small-scale farmers and artisans in Latin America, Africa, and Asia receive a fair and dependable income for their work. Even further, giving a Fair Trade gift is an exemplary way to introduce Fair Trade to others in one’s family, congregation and broader community.

“We know from our 27 years conducting Fair Trade that it makes a world of difference. Our faith-based partners know it, too. Now we’re trying to make it as easy and fun as possible for people across the country to bring Fair Trade into their own communities.” - Darya Mattes, Equal Exchange Community Sales Program

However, nationwide there are over 300,000 congregations and places of worship, and the vast majority do not yet make Fair Trade a part of their holiday bazaars. This represents a great opportunity to significantly, and quickly, expand the good that people do every year with their holiday sales and shopping.

The Contest:

To help spread the word Equal Exchange is holding a contest; two winners will receive $500 in free products for their holiday bazaar - including a tablecloth, two boxes of chocolate minis, two cases of candy bars, a case of beautiful story coffees, handmade gift wrap and more. No purchase is required. To participate visit:  http://www.equalexchange.coop/programs/holiday-bazaar and sign up to receive free information from Equal Exchange. There will be two drawings. One on October 1st, and the second on November 15th.

 “We love helping our customers with their bazaars every year. People get so excited. The following Monday they often call in a panic because they’ve already sold out.” – Suzanne Keleher, Equal Exchange Customer Service Representative

Equal Exchange encourages new or existing customers who still have questions to contact our friendly customer service department Monday – Friday 9am–5pm EST at 774-776-7366.

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About Equal Exchange

Equal Exchange, a pioneer and U.S. market leader in Fair Trade since 1986, is a full service provider of high quality, organic coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas and other foods to customers across the United States. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting more than 75 small farmer co-operatives in 40 countries around the world. In keeping with its Fair Trade mission Equal Exchange is a worker co-operative, owned and democratically controlled by its employees. Thanks to its unorthodox business model and dedication to social justice Equal Exchange enjoys twelve partnerships with national faith-based organizations, with whom it collaborates to promote Fair Trade and to make Fair Trade products available in every community.

Product samples, photos and interviews are available upon request.

Additional product photos may also be downloaded at: http://tinyurl.com/lsd74ye