Immaculate Heart of Mary School Hosts Fair Trade Sales

With all the , I figured this reminder from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School about its fair trade sales might spark some interest.

We are all familiar with giving charitable donations during the holiday season, but there is another way that you can help those in need to have a better life that does not involve their receiving charity. Consider shopping for beautiful and fairly traded decorations, gifts, jewelry, scarves, ornaments, nativity sets and other hand-crafted items as well as fair trade coffee, tea and chocolate from developing regions of the world. Shop at the Work of Human Hands sales and make a positive difference with your consumer choices.

For 12 years students, alumni, teachers and parents have volunteered their time to sponsor these sales. The sales are part of the Work of Human Hands program, a partnership between Catholic Relief Services and SERRV, nonprofit organizations dedicated to fighting poverty. Every purchase made at the Work of Human Hands Sale enables an artisan or farmer to better provide for the basic necessities of life, to educate her or his children and to work in a safe environment.

Your purchases help artisans like A. Dowlethbee, a basket weaver who works with SERRV's partner SHARE in India.

"Customers who buy our baskets can be a part of creating a future for us," she said in a statement.

Jhonson Augustin is a recycled metal artist from Haiti.

"This work is our tool to fight poverty," he said in a statement. "We want more orders to make money to repair and replace what we lost (in the earthquake)."

There will be three sales during this holiday shopping season:

• Sunday, Nov. 13 from 8:30am - 7:30pm at Holy Cross Catholic Church, 3773 Chamblee Tucker Rd., Atlanta
• Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9am till 3pm at , 2674 Johnson Rd. NE, Atlanta
• Sunday, Dec. 4 from 10am - 4pm in the old historic IHM church, 2855 Briarcliff Rd. NE

For more information contact: Carmen S. Graciaa, IHM School Director of Faith Formation and Catholic Relief Services Trade Ambassador; cgraciaa@ihmschool.org, 404-636-4488 ext. 237.