This weekend, as Pittsburghers shop for holiday gifts at
Ten Thousand Villages in Squirrel Hill, "their gifts will give twice, once to the recipient and once to the artisan who was paid a living wage" for creating the items, says Pat Barbarino Perego, who manages the store.
Ten Thousand Villages deals in fair trade items that have been created by artisans in dozens of developing countries throughout the world. Those artisans are paid up front for their wares, says Perego, "so they can buy raw materials, put food on their table and send their children to school. … They get paid, we like to say, 'a living wage,' because they can actually live off of this work."
"In Pakistan, when the earthquake happened a couple of years ago, our artisans' houses remained standing because we were buying products from them and they had been able to fortify their houses," Perego says.
Perego says Pittsburghers are enthusiastic about buying fair
trade products and supporting artisans in developing countries. A team of more than 60 local volunteers keeps the Pittsburgh outpost of Ten Thousand Villages (our
Pop Spot of the Week), which is part of a national network of fair trade stores, running year-round.
This week, they're putting the finishing touches on a special holiday-themed event. The
Santa Shop will be open this Friday through Sunday, with handmade items ranging in price from $2 to $10. These holiday gifts are designed for children to give to their family and friends. Kids can shop with a parent or be assisted by one of the store's volunteers.
"It's the second year we're doing it. We tried it last year and it was done on very short notice, but received very well," Perego says. "This year we've put a lot of effort into it."
Writer: Melissa Rayworth
Source: Pat Barbarino Perego
Image courtesy of Ten Thousand Villages