Alternative Christmas Market

Before or during Advent, the VPC Mission Committee holds an Alternative Christmas Market that offers several opportunities to Christmas shop while helping the world.  The mainstays of the market are the gifts offered by Alternative Gifts International (AGI) and A Greater Gift (see below).  Heifer International and other good causes make appearances from year to year.

Alternative Gifts International is a non-profit, interfaith agency that raises funds each year for global gifts.  It provides opportunities to preserve our endangered planet as well as help hungry, sick, and homeless people all over the world to help themselves.  AGI sends the donated money to well-respected relief and development agencies. 

When you purchase a gift at VPC's Alternative Christmas Market by donating money to one of AGI's programs, you receive a lovely gift card with an inserted explanation of the program receiving the donation.  You then give the card to your family member or friend, informing the recipient that an alternative gift was given in their honor.

A Greater Gift - Hope and justice with every purchase.  A Greater Gift strives to remind us all of the impact that our consumer choices can have on the world.  A Greater Gift is a program of SERRV International, a non-profit alternative trade and development organization.  SERRV's mission is to promote the social and economic progress of people in developing regions of the world by marketing their crops and handcrafts in a just and direct manner.  SERRV is a member of the International Fair Trade Association and the Fair Trade Federation.

Fair trade enables people to make their own choices and helps them develop the skills to make those choices.  VPC sells Fair Trade food items (soups, nuts, jams, etc) and various other items such as kitchen towels and baskets at our Alternative Christmas Market.  All proceeds are returned to SERRV.

Our sales of bean soup from SERRV benefits the Women's Bean Project. In 2008, The Women's Bean Project was featured on The News Hour. Watch it here.