STATE COLLEGE — With the gift giving season quickly approaching, Centre County residents on the hunt for ethically made items and brands are in luck. Ten Thousand Villages will hold its Holiday Trade Handicraft and Rug Sale from Thursday, Nov. 21, through Saturday, Nov. 23. The event will be held at the Unitarian Church in State College, with the sale open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., though it will close at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit that aims to provide a sustainable income for female artisans in different countries. Artists selling products are paid upfront so they do not need to wait for the products to be sold. The nonprofit prioritizes ensuring artists are paid fair wages and have safe working conditions, sustainability and creating partnerships with marginalized women to empower them.
“We’re a global maker-to-market movement that addresses economic injustice,” a press release from Ten Thousand Villages said. “Every handcrafted object has a life of meaning behind it. We’re a way for you to shop with intention for ethically sourced handcrafted wares, and to share in the joy of empowering makers across the globe.”
In 2018, Ten Thousand Villages opened a store in State College after fundraising for two years. The store closed in May of this year after six years in the Centre County community. Though the storefront no longer is open, the nonprofit still aims to serve the community and has a small retail space in Belle Mercantile.
A partner of Ten Thousand Villages, Bunyaad will also be at the Holiday Fair Trade Handicraft and Rug Sale. They will be showing their own rugs in a variety of styles:
• Tribal Rugs
• Bokhara Rugs
• Persian Rugs
Ten Thousand Villages works with Bunyaad in Pakistan, working with female artists to make sure they are paid fair wages for the work they put into creating rugs and table runners in all different shapes and sizes. Bunyaad also has a service that allows buyers to send their purchases back to get fixed if they have been damaged.
Rugs will not be the only thing sold at the Holiday Fair Trade Handicraft and Rug Sale. There will be a selection of:
• Jewelry
• Scarves
• Houseware
• Ornaments
• Gifts
• Spa products
• Coffee
• Chocolates
• Holiday goods
