Shop for the Holidays with Hope

What do strips of old clothes, Palestinian olive oil and kudzu baskets have to do with each other? Each represents the possibility of a holiday gift that gives hope. Each has been produced with care for the worker who created it. Each has concern for the environment from which it comes and will one day return. And items such as these are in abundance at craft markets found throughout the area this gift-giving season, beckoning you to shop with intention.More commonly known as “Alternative Gift Markets,” there really is nothing “alternative” about them. The other form of acquiring gifts typically through busy shopping malls on Black Friday really should be the alternative. Purchasing goods that take into account the human welfare of the worker who generated the product and the environmental impact of the product is a faithful way to shop year-round and embrace GIPL's Buy Wise program, but especially during this celebratory time of gift-giving.Strips of old clothes become beautifully, hand-woven rugs, hand bags and other textile goodies, crafted by Atlantans previously under-employed and living in dire poverty. Re:loom gives them another chance by teaching them time-worn skills of weaving and artistry. Fair trade olive oil procured from the Middle East ensures that olives are grown and harvested sustainably while farmers receive a fair wage for their work. Bhutanese baskets are beautifully crafted by  refugees resettled here in Georgia; transforming the ubiquitous kudzu vine into a work of art while earning a decent living that supports their families. These are just some examples of the gifts awaiting you at your local alternative gift market. Most are hosted by local congregations. But if you can’t find one near you,  stores such as Ten Thousand Villages are filled with gifts of hope.So, celebrate your commitment to Creation care with gifts that give hope this holiday season, hope for the hands who crafted the gift and hope for all of Creation.   Let GIPL know if your congregation is hosting a special gift market this year and we'll post it to our calendar.