First Presbyterian Church has held Hope Village for 20 plus years. This is not a fund-raising venture for the Church, rather we seek out vendors who are lifting their artisans out of poverty, marginalization, and sex trafficking. We obtain beautiful, hand-crafted items on consignment, sell them and return the proceeds to the vendors. The vendors we use pay a living wage to the artisans, and support programs to educate and train others to engage in work that empowers them.
Where does the money go?
The beautiful items we sell allow vendors to build schools in Nepal (dZi); lift artisans out of poverty (Women of Hope and Mayan Hands all out of Guatemala, Likha in the Phillipines, Women’s Peace Collection in Bali and Andes Gifts from Peru) ; rescue and rehabilitate women and children from sex trafficking (Rahab’s Rope and Mira in India, Courage Worldwide in Tanzania, and Thistle Farms in Nashville); safe disposal of unwanted firearms to turn into gardening tools and accessories (Raw Tools), impact employment security and help build sustainable businesses for single mothers in South Africa (Thumbprint Artifacts), enable families to supplement their subsistence farming and educate their children (Global Mamas, Amani Ya Juu, Women of the Cloud Forest and Baskets of Africa); and support artisans around the globe who are marginalized, often ostracized for being HIV positive (World Finds, Latitudes and Maadilli Collective in Uganda); support Palestinians who are attempting to make a living (Equal Exchange Olive Oil); support a Christian college in Bethlehem (Star Bazaar); and employ developmentally diverse artists to create and sell their fine art and gift items. (Passion Works) in Athens, OH.
