Villa Maria to mark World Fair Trade Day

Staff report

VILLA MARIA, PA.

Villa Maria Community Center will host a celebration of World Fair Trade Day with free Fair Trade coffee and chocolate tastings, a fashion show, film and more from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

World Fair Trade Day is a global celebration of fair trade on the second Saturday in May each year. Its purpose is to raise greater awareness of fair trade to consumers, so that all trade becomes fair.

U.S. consumers buy more than $1 billion of Fair Trade products annually. Fair Trade helps producers get paid a fair wage, and work in healthy conditions.

Villa Maria Community Center sells Fair Trade products in its in-house store and works with co-ops from Southern Hemisphere countries to help them meet their community needs and educates consumers through activities and events throughout schools and communities.

Free Fair Trade chocolate, coffee and organic-tea tasting with samples provided by Theo Chocolate, Green Mountain and Equal Exchange begin at noon. Complement your beverage with raw and organic sugar and honey from Wholesome Sweeteners. A fashion show will highlight current Fair Trade fashions from Women of the Cloud Forest, Avatar, Trendz, Unique Batik and Upavim. Learn more about Fair Trade through the film “The Dark Side of Chocolate” and educational vendors who deal with the social and global issues of fair trade.

A special traveling El Salvador children’s art and poetry exhibit is on display at the center. These drawings and poems were created in honor of last year’s 30th anniversary of the martyrdom of the four U.S. church women killed there and their work in El Salvador.

The Villa Shoppe will be open for shopping. The event is sponsored by Green Mountain, Equal Exchange, Upavim, Unique Batik, Trendz, Wholesome Sweeteners, Theo Chocolate and Fair Trade Resource Network. Visit www.humilityofmary.org.