Shop for the holidays and change the world at the same time? On Wednesday, December 10, 2008, the Greenwood SAGE Project hosted an Alternative Gift Market at the GSC to help raise money and awareness for a variety of national and international humanitarian projects. Shoppers were given the opportunity to browse colorful display booths while enjoying a warm and festive atmosphere with live music and holiday treats. Gifts could then be purchased to support particular projects in honor of friends and relatives.
Volunteers chose from projects selected by
Alternative Gifts International, an organization that has been "sending gifts of peace and justice - food, shelter, trees, water, medicines - around the world since 1986." Each volunteer then carefully researched their project and designed a project display with photos and information.
Volunteers working on project displays
The market turned out to be a wonderful success. Volunteers educated and enlightened shoppers about the various geographical, social, and political factors creating a need for each of the respective projects and how each particular project addresses the need and helps provide solutions. Shoppers who chose to donate received beautiful cards with inserts explaining to recipients the nature of donation made in their honor.
Example of card insert
At the end of the day,
$3,526 had been raised in support of the featured projects at the Greenwood Senior Center's Alternative Gift Market! Not only will this make a significant impact in the lives of needy people around the world, but this will also make an impact in the lives of the givers and receivers of alternative gifts who are made aware of important global issues and participate in a reorientation of what it means to give during the holiday season. Thank you to all who contributed your time, effort, and enthusiasm to make this event possible!
Top Five Projects Supported by Alternative Gift Market shoppers:- New Water Wells for Nomadic People in Sudan - $644
- Wheelchairs for New Freedom in Ecuador - $458
- Trees for the Rural Poor in the Caribbean - $355
- Micro-Loans for Poverty Reduction in Haiti - $245
- Renewed Sight for the Blind in Cambodia - $219
To view a photo album with more photos from the Alternative Gift Market, click below: