Archive for the 'Events' Category

A few years back I managed an AmeriCorps program and remember that the national service motto for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday was “Make it a day ON not a day off.” The idea was to encourage folks to do volunteer work in honor of Dr. King’s legacy instead of just hanging out on [...]

Read the entry: Traveling South for the King Holiday →

As we emerge from piles of wrapping paper, lament the amount of cookies we’ve consumed, and reflect on the good times and good people we enjoyed at Christmas, I hope you get rejuvenated by updates from folks who spent the season of Advent preparing for a Fair Trade Christmas.
Bob Walz of Guardian Angels [...]

Read the entry: Now this is how to celebrate Christmas! →

Okay, that rhyme is pretty lame, but it is hard to find catchy titles for each and every blog posting! What I’m trying to do is remind you to place your gift orders with Work of Human Hands and our coffee partners soon because Christmas is almost here. Katy and I are spending [...]

Read the entry: Tick, tock, tick, tock; time to fill your Fair Trade stockings! →

As I mentioned in my last posting, CRS Fair Traders have been getting a lot of media coverage lately, which makes us all very proud. The Florida Catholic, for example, featured Ambassador Stephanie RH Bosse, in its November 16-22nd issue. Stephanie is quite a persuasive writer, and I thought I’d share one of [...]

Read the entry: Coffee with a Clear Conscience: Guest blogger →

There is no doubt that the weeks leading up to Christmas are a busy time for Fair Traders. By planning Work of Human Hands sales, getting the word out about chocolate as a special gift, and coffee as a way to stay warm, CRS Fair Trade staff, Ambassadors, and supporters are spreading the good [...]

Read the entry: Holiday season shines spotlight on Fair Trade →

This summer I had the fun of escorting Fair Traders to Ghana the grand prize experience of the Raise Money Right contests.
As the group mentioned on this blog, we had a tremendous experience and returned to our various homes dedicated to the idea that we could help the people of Ghana by understanding [...]

Read the entry: A Fair Trade Ripple Effect for Ghana →

Here at CRS headquarters, we are fond of sharing that the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops passed a resolution supporting Fair Trade a couple years ago at one of their annual meetings. We were as delighted to learn from our Constituency Relations colleague Christine Smith that the National Council of Catholic Women recently also [...]

Read the entry: Another Fair Trade Resolution from Church Leaders →

UGH! I can’t believe I really wrote that! But, hey, it is part of my job to help you shop your values. I know so many of us want to be thoughtful, responsible consumers, and the upcoming holiday season can full of distractions and temptations that take us of our path. But [...]

Read the entry: Only 49 shopping days until Christmas →

Although Fair Trade is considered by some folks to be a development tool, meaning a set of principles and practices that help disadvantaged people increase incomes, invest in communities and protect the environment in sustainable ways, the fact is I don’t get to hang out with development practitioners all that much. Sure, Catholic Relief [...]

Read the entry: Fair Trade: Feel-good fad or best-kept development secret? →

One of our most popular CRS Fair Trade resources is the document connecting Fair Trade to Catholic Social Teaching. The parallels between the criteria for Fair Trade actions, such as participatory decision making, and treasured church principles such as subsidiarity, are instructive and inspiring for folks interested in economic justice. Truth is, though, [...]

Read the entry: Happy Anniversary to “Populorum Progressio” →