
It's the 1st of July and summer is officially in full swing. The sun is even out in foggy San Francisco! So, summer, sun...full swing. What better way to usher it all in than with our brand new hammocks from El Salvador. I don't know about you, but the thought of laying in a hammock on a warm day (or any day!) brings an instant smile to my face.
Lay back and relax in this hammock and enjoy the great story behind them. They are 100% cotton and from T-shirt production waste in El Salvador.
Using cotton trim pieces from a T-shirt factory that would normally be thrown away, the cotton is ground and re-spun into these beautiful striped hammocks. Recycled candle wax, gathered from local churches, is also used to lubricate the cotton for weaving. Employees are paid above standard wages and receive benefits, and safety precautions are taken to insure the welfare of all employees. Even the machinery used to spin and weave these hammocks was purchased used!
Gimme gimme.
Speaking of summer, our Summer S'mores Action is back. Last year, Global Exchange started the first Summer S'mores Action getting hundreds of people across the country to gather around and make their s'mores using Fair Trade Certified chocolate. It was a great and fun success and now it's back and asking to gather even more people to participate and take a stand for cocoa farmers everywhere.
Find out how you can get involved and to get you all motivated, check out our video from last year's action. This might be the most delicious political action you'll ever take!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Summer is in the Air
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Celebrate World Fair Trade Day with Us!
Saturday May 9th is World Fair Trade Day, and we're looking forward to it. There's lots going on around this special day. Here's just a taste:
- Donate to FTRN just by shopping! Global Exchange is donating 10% of all sales on World Fair Trade Day to the Fair Trade Resource Network, to help their efforts in educating consumers about the importance of Fair Trade. So if you're planning to shop online at Global Exchange, Saturday is a great time to do it.
- Help set the World's Largest Coffee Break Record! Join others in the effort to surpass last year's record and take back the record from Fairtrade Finland, who organized 50,000 people last year. Nothing wrong with a little healthy competition, right?
- A little World Fair Trade Gift for You: Do you need a special gift for someone? Global Exchange Online Store is giving you $10 to spend on orders of $50 or more, now through World Fair Trade Day May 9th. Simply enter wftd09 in the coupon code during checkout to receive your savings.
- Check out WFTD events happening: For a complete list of events happening throughout the world and other exciting info, visit Fair Trade Resource Network.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tweet Deal of the Week

This Saturday is World Fair Trade Day. Over at Global Exchange, we are doing a lot to prepare for the big day, such as planning our Fair Trade Coffee Break at our Open House and holding our 'Inspiring Mother' Story contest to win a Fair Trade prize made by mothers, for mothers.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
'Inspiring Mother' Story Contest Details
According to the Fair Trade Federation, women made up 76% of non-agricultural fair trade production in 2008 and many of them are mothers. This Mother's Day, we are recognizing those inspiring Fair Trade mothers with our "Tell us your 'Inspiring Mother' Story" contest.
Is your mother the guiding light in your life? Know a mother who is making a big difference in the world? Has she made a lasting impact on you and on others? Let us know. Email us your stories to storemaster@globalexchange.org with "Mother's Day" contest story in the subject line, and we will feature them on the blog. Photos are also encouraged. When you share your story, you are automatically entered to win a fantastic Fair Trade prize made by mothers, for mothers. The winner will be announced after Mother's Day.
Tell us your story today!
Tell us your 'Inspiring Mother' Story
For Mother's Day, we mentioned that we were going to take some time on our blog to tell the stories of the amazing and inspiring Fair Trade artisans that are mothers that we work with. In addition to that, we also want to hear from you. We're asking you to tell us your 'Inspiring Mother' stories. Is there a mother out there that has been a guiding light for you? Making a big difference in the world? Making changes? Left a lasting impact on you? Let us know.
I would like to nominate Sandie Doles as a mother who gives back. She is my best friend Amesia’s Mom and I’m proud to call her my friend. Amesia and I, along with a bunch of friends and Sandie and Tim (Amesia’s Dad) went to Baja California together in 2007. We had an amazing time. It’s not every day that you travel with a friend’s parents and have the time of your life! We drank margaritas on the beach, ate delicious local food, and hung out enjoying each other’s company. We were lucky enough to be there when the whales were returning from the Sea of Cortez, babies in tow, to frolic by the beach where we stayed. One special moment I’ll never forget is sitting on the beach with Amesia and Sandie, watching as the whales breached out of the water in th
e distance, one after the other. There was no one else on the beach; we just sat there appreciating one of life’s special moments.
Soon after we returned from Baja, Sandie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. After a courageous battle, she passed away this past fall.
Before Sandie got sick, she took an active interest in Fair Trade. We chatted about how she could get involved in the growing movement, and she began almost immediately selling Fair Trade crafts at local events in Santa Barbara. With guts and savvy, Sandie was a selling machine, and her traveling business quickly evolved into a permanent Fair Trade gift shop called Arcobaleno Trade located on Haley Street in Santa Barbara. Once Sandie beca
me too ill to work, Amesia moved from San Francisco to Santa Barbara to care for her Mom and run the shop. When it comes to caring for others, like mother like daughter.
I am nominating Sandie because she was an amazing mother to Amesia and her brother Seth. She was also an incredible support for many others whose lives she touched. She was an integral member of her local community, which I witnessed firsthand at her memorial, which was so packed we had to move the ceremony outside to accommodate the high volume of attendees. People from all walks of life shared stories about how Sandie impacted them, in big ways and small. One woman called Amesia just the other day telling how she met Sandie on a local bus, and when she read that Sandie had passed away, she felt compelled to call her daughter and share how Sandie’s goodness had
affected her. Sandie was warm-hearted and inspirational. Where others dream of things to do, she did them. When others complained about what was, Sandie pointed out what is.
This April, Amesia moved Arcobaleno Trade to a more central location on State Street and the bustling shop is a living testament to the spirit of Sandie, as well as to the producers who make the wonderful array of product offerings. The Santa Barbara News-Press published a beautiful article in their March 23 issue called “At the rainbow’s end: Amesia Doles Garcia carries on her mother’s fair trade boutique.” Sandie is still giving back, even though she is no longer with us physically.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Inspiring Mothers that Inspire Others
Mother's Day is coming up. It is a day to reflect on those amazing women who have been there from our very first moment of life. It is a day for us to reflect on those who may not share our same genetic make-up but we consider the mother figure in our lives. It is a day to reflect on mother's and women everywhere who do their all to provide for their children and kin despite life's obstacles.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Celebrate 20 Years of Activism and Change with Global Exchange
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Go Fair Trade, Get Free Chocolate

Most people observe the Easter and Passover seasons by giving something up such as leavened foods for Passover or a particular vice for Lent. Well, instead of giving something up, we're deciding to give something out to you. When you go Fair Trade for Easter and Passover, we're giving away a free jumbo Fair Trade chocolate bar on purchases above $25. All you have to do is enter " free chocolate" in the customer comment field during checkout. So simple.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Every Bunny Loves a Fair Trade Easter

Walking into any store, you can't help but notice all the Easter decorations. Well, that's because Easter is right around corner, folks! While you're getting ready to prepare for Sunday's festivities, why not try making it a Fair Trade Easter? Look to our Easter section and see how you can hop into a Fair Trade Easter. Our favorite? The Bundle of Bunnies. Cute enough to eat.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Sidewalk Sale April 11th!

When: Saturday, April 11th from 11am-6pm PST
Where: Global Exchange San Francisco Store
4018 24th Street @Noe
What: Fair Trade gifts (up to 60% Off), free lemonade, fair trade friends and fun!
We're looking forward to this because rarely do our Fair Trade Store folks come together like this. But with spring cleaning on our minds and new products on their way to our stores, we need to make room. So we're cleaning house, making this the perfect time for folks like YOU to come out and save BIG on tons of cool Fair Trade finds.
We hope to see you there...even if you're not in the mood to shop, just stop by and say hi!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Ralph Gets Involved
The economic downturn is still causing some worries, but Recession Ralph is taking the extra time that he now has since he lost his job to get involved with causes he's passionate about.
Ralph joined fellow staff members over the weekend in Seattle at the Green Festival. Ralph has been working overtime volunteering for a stronger green economy!Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tell Cadbury Thanks and go Fair Trade in the USA!!
Please join Global Exchange and fellow members of our partner Fair Trade advocacy organizations nationwide and around the world in generating as many letters as possible to:
- congratulate Cadbury on the Fair Trade certification of their Dairy Milk bar in the UK.
- ask Cadbury, Hershey (Cadbury's US manufacturer) and Green and Black's Organic (owned by Cadbury) to expand their commitment to Fair Trade in the United States by introducing more Fair Trade Certified products.
So head over to >the Global Exchange action page and Thank Cadbury for their commitment and ask them and other large chocolate companies to commit to Fair Trade throughout their whole supply chain.



