Local volunteers help out at International Gift Faire
By Shari Kaplan
Although Ten Thousand Villages closed its nonprofit shop in downtown Los Gatos last year, it has not lost the ties that bind it to this community. In fact, thanks in part to many local residents who volunteer at the organization's International Gift Faire in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood, Ten Thousand Villages continues to keep its fair-trade cause alive.
The 11th annual Faire takes place on Oct. 15 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lincoln Glen Church, 2700 Booksin Ave. in San Jose. It offers hundreds of handicrafts--including baskets, holiday ornaments, toys, jewelry, musical instruments, linens and home decor--made by artists from 30 developing Third World countries.
The artisans rely on their creative skills for income for a variety of reasons. Some are refugees, while others are the spouses of "disappeared" human-rights workers. Still others are illiterate, landless or homeless villagers. What they have in common is their determination to make a better life for themselves through their work. In so doing, they also bring betterment to their villages.
Among the local volunteers is Ken Pannabecker, a 25-year Los Gatos resident and retired space systems auditor for Lockheed. A Faire volunteer for several years, he used his skills in cabinetry and woodworking to construct 22 easy-to-carry wooden sidewalk signs that will go up before the Faire to make the church venue easier to find. Pannabecker's wife, Dee, also helps at the Faire and was a volunteer employee at Los Gatos' Ten Thousand Villages store until it closed.
"Ken's signs have been a big asset in attracting many new customers and a few volunteers. Thanks to his efforts, we are able to reach out farther into the community," says San Jose resident Norma Voth, a volunteer in charge of Faire publicity. According to Voth, other volunteers from the Los Gatos and Monte Sereno area are Rosemary Belle, Francesca Dorris, Zina Lou Dyer, Michelle Heinrichs, Doug Lynner, Colette McNeil, Susan Noda, former store manager Kim Martin and Faire display coordinator Cindy Strickland.
The mission of Ten Thousand Villages, a marketing and job-creation program formed by the Mennonite Central Committee, is to sell handicrafts at fair prices and create economic opportunities that help people help themselves in the areas of education, healthcare, nutrition and housing. All Faire proceeds are returned to Ten Thousand Villages.
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