Christmas on Vinegar Hill to feature fair trade booth

[November 16, 2012]  MOUNT PULASKI -- There will be a "fair trade" booth at the Mount Pulaski Grade School on Nov. 17 during Christmas on Vinegar Hill. Crafts and some food items have been imported by SERRV and Lutheran World Relief. The people who created the many beautiful items have received a payment that is a more fair payment for their work than if the items had been sold to a for-profit department store.

Barbara Stroud-Borth, a retired pastor, has wanted to bring the beautiful imported, handmade crafts to Christmas on Vinegar Hill since she moved to Mount Pulaski 5 1/2 years ago. The items are ordered on consignment, so she is hoping to have nothing to send back.

The goal of the people from SERRV has long been to help poor people work to get out of poverty in many countries. Receiving a fair wage for their crafts helps them feed their families and send their children to school.

Everyone is invited to come find a Christmas present from among the Nativity sets, ornaments, baskets, jewelry, musical instruments, puzzles, baskets, fair trade coffee and Divine Chocolate.

[Photo and text by Barbara Stroud-Borth]