Fair Trade Cart
Fair Trade principles and practices are based on the belief that people should receive a living wage for what they produce and that their products should be created using environmentally sound practices for socially responsible outcomes. These principles are implemented by an array of organizations who devote themselves to finding farmers and artisans throughout the world who need assistance in producing and selling their products for a fair wage and who can provide assistance to their communities in developing resources needed to provide for their basic needs. Fair Trade practices have been responsible for developing schools, clean water resources, and many other basic necessities throughout the developing world by furnishing the economic means formerly missing from their communities.
The Fair Trade Cart at UCE sells a variety of agricultural and artistic products. Our profits are returned to our greater community through holiday donations to Chute Middle School families who are selected by school social workers and by donations to Evanston’s Family Focus for support of their children’s after school and summer camp programs. In 2019, we also donated to help migrant families detained at our borders.
Your support in purchasing these products has helped give families in our community and worldwide communities the resources they need and helps fulfill our commitment to our second UU principle to value ”justice, equity and compassion in human relations.”
If you have more questions, please contact Joan Retzloff through the Realm Membership Directory or at admin@ucevanston.org!
Partner Websites and Helpful Links
News & Updates from the Fair Trade Cart
More News from the Fair Trade Cart: December 1, 2017
This year Fair Trade Cart funds are being used to support activities for the children at Family Focus here in Evanston in addition to our long standing contributions to Chute Middle School. We met JoAnn Avery, who is the Program Manager at Family Focus, at the "Women Making Change" event last March and her presentation inspired us to ask about how we might help. She had many ideas and we are working to make them happen! So far, under the direction and continuing work of Jackie Seaman, we have reorganized their library and are maintaining it as necessary. We also provided a tutor during the last summer camp session, funded a trip to the "Just Us Girls" conference at Benedictine University this fall, and we are currently providing gifts for selected families for the holidays. In addition to all this, we hope to fund scholarships and field trips in the coming year. So your purchases are being put to good use, both in helping the farmers and artisans who produce our goods, and in helping the children at Chute Middle School and Family Focus in our community. Thank you!