Holidays can be a time of frivolous spending, often on gifts that wind up at the bottom of your 10-year-old nephew’s closet, battery-less and sad. In an answer to the consumer-driven Christmas, a small East Dallas church plans to kick off the holiday season with shopping that serves a bigger purpose — a global purpose.
“The idea is to offer gifts that give back,” says organizer Judy Kline.
Most of the 350 members of Greenland Hills UMC have charities they support. Last year the church members were asked to step up and educate the neighborhood on these causes. “It’s about empowering people in the church to tell the community about the causes they feel passionately about,” Pastor Marti Soper says. “Other churches do this. We decided to take the idea and put our own spin on it.”
Last year, in the Global Village Market’s inaugural year, the small congregation raised an unexpectedly whopping $16,000 for 17 different non-profit organizations. Kline says they were hoping for about $4,000. “We just made it fun and the community responded overwhelmingly,” she says.
It works like this: Volunteers educate visitors about organizations such as Rwanda’s Giving Hope Project, which began in Rwanda and protects the rights of orphans affected by HIV and AIDS; Refugee Services of Texas, which helps provide quality resettlement to refugees and other displaced people; or The Wilkinson Center, a poverty prevention agency right here in the neighborhood. Then, market goers can commence gift getting. Some of the organizations, such as Ten Thousand Villages, sell jewelry, décor and unique gifts. Others peddle coffee, tea and specialty foods. All of the goods are fair trade, meaning that artists and farmers responsible for the goods are appropriately compensated.
And it goes beyond snacks, arts and crafts.
For Christmas last year, Soper donated to the Heifer Project on behalf of her two infant grandchildren. She and her husband sent the children toy sheep with a certificate showing that real sheep had been purchased, in their name, for a family living on a farm in Africa. “Sure they won’t understand it right now,” Soper says, “but when they can, this makes concrete for them what a little money can do.”
Church member Rob Peebles adds more ways his fellow congregants are helping. “The men’s group at the church will have a table where folks can donate to help pay for home repairs during Amigos Days, where dozens of Methodist churches refurbish houses selected by the city of Dallas.”
Live music and other entertainment, coffee, tea, chili, pies and chocolate — to name a few — will pack the party with that extra punch.
Greenland Hills Global Village Market II
When/ Saturday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 2, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where/ Greenland Hills UMC, 5835 Penrose
For more information/ greenlandhills.org or 214.826.2060
