Columbus, Ohio USA
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How to Heal the World
One Purchase at a Time

by Karen Edwards
March/April 2019 Issue

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Photos © Gus Brunsman III

Poverty, hunger, environmental crises, abuse…

You know there are ills in the world, but you don’t know what you can do about them. Like Don Quixote, you feel you’d only be tilting at windmills if you tried. So, you close your eyes to all that’s wrong in the world. You go about your day.

But there is something you can do – one small action you can take. In the words of one former president, trying to soothe a nation after an unspeakable tragedy, you could, well, go shopping.

Of course, it matters where you shop. You’re not just trying to boost the local economy (though you are doing that as well), but you want to shop somewhere where you can help heal the world – where your shopping decisions can make a difference. So, head over to Global Gifts, celebrating its fifth year at 682 N. High Street in the Short North.

The shop may look familiar as you enter its doors. Until 2014, this was the home of Global Gallery, a similar concept (both are part of the Fair Trade Federation) but it’s not the same non-profit organization at all. Don’t confuse the two.

“Three or four years ago, Global Gallery’s executive director retired, and the organization decided to change its focus,” says Alissa Head, who managed Global Gift’s Short North store before becoming the organization’s executive director last year. “Global Gallery decided to focus all of its efforts on its coffeehouse in Clintonville,” Head says.

If you’re already confused – Global Gallery, Global Gifts – what’s the difference? –there is an easy way to distinguish the two.

“Global Gifts focuses on handmade, fair trade items,” says Head. “We are primarily retail.” Global Gallery is primarily a coffee shop, with a small retail space for Fair Trade items and a gallery for Fair Trade artisans.

So, how did Global Gallery in the Short North become Global Gifts? “The Fair Trade network is small,” says Head with a laugh. “Everyone knows everyone.”

When Global Gallery decided to leave its Short North location, it approached Global Gifts in Indianapolis to see if it wanted to pick up the shop’s lease and buy the inventory. Global Gifts agreed.

Global Gifts Manager Amy Phillips-Gary (left)
with Director Alissa Head

“It was just this particular occasion that made Global Gifts expand into Ohio,” says Head. “We’ll never say never, but we’re not looking to expand beyond our four stores at this point.”

Global Gifts has actually been around for 30 years, says Amy Phillips-Gary who now manages the Short North shop. “It began with members of the First Mennonite Church of Indianapolis selling fair trade, imported goods from the church basement.” The goods were so popular, the church expanded to craft fairs and local bazaars, then, in 1988, the church founded Global Gifts and opened its first store in Indianapolis. By 2006, a second Indy store opened, then three years later, a third location opened in Bloomington. The Columbus shop opened in 2014.

Since its opening, Global Gifts has not only attracted plenty of shoppers to its doors, but has settled nicely into the Short North neighborhood. “We have become more connected to the community here,” says Phillips-Gary. “We love participating in activities like Gallery Hop, and we’re one of the stops on the Columbus Food Adventures Tour.”

That’s great for the community, sure, but, again, how are you helping to heal all of those ills out there in the world?

What’s fair? Let’s talk Fair Trade.

Unlike most retail shops, Global Gifts is stocked 80 percent with goods that are Fair Trade, and 20 percent with goods made by what Phillips-Gary describes as “social entrepreneurs.” Many of these craftspeople and artisans are people who are helped by the goods they create. Take the 11th Candle Company, for example. The women who make the candles and other goods were once victims of sex trafficking rings. The money made from 11th Candle sales enable them to stand on their own, to form a life that’s separate from their past. Now, take that concept and spread it worldwide – across 40 different countries.

“Fair Trade means that a third-party has stepped into a country and made sure the buyers of these local, handmade goods are meeting certain requirements,” says Phillips-Gary. Among those stipulations:

• Artisans are paid upfront for their work; they don’t have to wait until their items sell to receive money
• Craftspeople are guaranteed a fair wage, no matter their gender
• There is no child labor
• Working conditions are safe, and products are produced in an environmentally sustainable manner
• Hours are flexible so if the craftsperson farms or has other income, they can produce their handicrafts on a part-time basis

“Fair Trade has a ripple effect,” says Phillips-Gary. “The artisans become better educated, and because they’re productive, they can avoid marrying and having children at young ages. They are often healthier.” Their income, of course, is spread throughout the community, helping other local businesses. And local artisan cooperatives hire locally, spreading the good effects of Fair Trade principles even further.

What to buy?

The variety of goods here is breathtaking – from jewelry and scarves to toys, beauty products and organic coffee.

“We work with Imani Worskhops of Kenya,” says Head. The artisans of this particular cooperative are HIV-positive. Global Gifts purchases their goods both for GG stores and to sell wholesale to other Fair Trade retailers. That’s how it works. “We buy from other Fair Trade shops, they buy from us.”

Each cooperative and artisan is vetted for Fair Trade practices, as well as for quality. “We keep an eye on design as well,” says Head. The Imani Workshop loves to use bright colors, especially in combination. “They use red and green a lot,” says Head, “Which is fine in Kenya, but in America, people here associate that color combination with Christmas, so we’ve asked them not to use that combination as much.”

Input from the store managers is always a big part of placing orders. “We’ll even try to meet customer requests,” says Phillips-Gary. If a customer asks for something specific, Global Gifts will research their network to see if that item has a Fair Trade source. If so, they’ll bring it into the store.

“Because we purchase all the items upfront, we aren’t going to return something because it doesn’t sell well,” says Head. What happens to those less popular items? Like other retailers, the stores hold sales and on rare occasions, they may donate items to some place where they will be used.

Head, who works remotely from Columbus, says the buying habits of Ohio and Indiana shoppers aren’t really all that different – though the Global Gift shopper comes from a wide range of ages, genders and backgrounds, both Phillips-Gary and Head say.

“I’d say most shoppers are women, but it’s not always the case. We get a good mix of local residents, and people who come here specifically from outside the area because they like Fair Trade merchandise,” says Phillips-Gary. “And because of our location, we get a fair amount of traffic from the convention center.”

“People will walk into our stores for the first time and ask, is this Fair Trade store because they recognize the merchandise is all handmade,” says Head.

Others are simply looking for a place to pick up something unique and handmade – two qualities it’s tough to find in most of today’s retail stores.

Of course, uniqueness is a double-edge sword. While there is appeal to owning something different, something not mass-produced, customers also need to understand that when an item is sold out, it’s gone. There is no calling the warehouse for another box.

“Most people understand that,” says Phillips-Gary. It’s the price everyone pays when they seek out something unique.

But back to the shop

It’s a heady experience as you walk through the store – like touring the world in 80 seconds instead of 80 days. Given the grayness of most Columbus days, it’s easy to gravitate to the bright colors of Mexican pottery and the rich tones of Thai dyed apparel hanging on racks like jewelry dripping down a jewelry box. But take the time to look deeper because there is so much more to discover.

Take those iridescent necklaces you’re suddenly drawn to. They are made from butterfly wings, ethically obtained, of course. “The butterfly goes through its life cycle, and when it dies, its wings are used to make this beautiful jewelry from Peru,” says Phillips-Gary.

Activate your senses

But color isn’t the only draw here. This shop is awash in texture. It’s almost as much fun to feel the items as it is to look at them. Touch the soft toys known as felted friends, including a brunette tooth fairy with a particularly impish look. Or run your fingers down one of the nubby quilted sari throws, made from recycled saris, the dress worn by Indian women.

Or pick up a “glitten,” a mitten without fingers, made from a smooth alpaca fur blend.

As long as we’re exploring the senses, you might as well pick up one of the many bells or musical instruments the shop sells, and have a go at entertaining other shoppers with your own brand of music. And when it comes to scents, try one of the body butters or lotions created by Women Crafting Change, a local group that provides Global Gifts with products. “This spring, they will offer a shea butter body workshop to show women how to make their own body butters,” says Phillips-Gary. And of course, you’ll smell coffee. Global Gifts does sell a limited amount of organic, shade-grown coffee, but if you’re looking for the full coffee experience, you’ll want to head further north on High Street to the Global Gallery coffee shop. “It’s my favorite coffee shop in town,” says Head.

Just remember, that every item in the store is handmade. “I love bringing in this variety of items and cultures,” says Phillips-Gary. “You have a better understanding and connection with each culture when you see how items are made.” Whether it’s the plain stitching on sari throws or the intricate carvings on the soapstone sculptures from Kenya, each piece of Global Gift merchandise has a story to tell – about times and places, yes, but also about the people who take the time to create beauty. For them, it’s more than a job. It’s pride, it’s skill, and often, it’s part of a cultural tradition that reaches far back into time.

On-site stories

Occasionally, some of those artisans and/or representatives find their way into the Global Gift shops. This May, for example, the Columbus store will be the first to host the annual Bunyaad Rug event. These hand-knotted rugs, made from hand-dyed wool, are carefully crafted by artisans and designers who are based in Pakistan. The rugs are so well-made, you can expect to hand them down for generations. “Representatives from the Bunyaad artisans will be here to tell the stories of the rugs and provide behind-the-scene glimpses of the artisans who make them,” says Phillips-Gary. (If you plan to attend the May 2 event, reserve your seat by calling 614-621-1744.)

The rugs are on the higher price range of goods that Global Gifts offers, but there are plenty of items that can be picked up for much less. “Our items range from $10 to several hundred,” says Phillips-Gary.

Can’t make it down to the Short North? No problem. Just visit the Global Gift web site, www.globalgiftsft.com and you’ll find the complete range of gifts they offer. And it’s an easy site to navigate. You can shop by regions, artisans, or by the article you’re looking for.

“We are really trying to boost our e-tail site,” says Head.

And why not? Global Gifts has a lot to be proud of. Their merchandise is unique, it’s handmade, it’s of high quality and design, and it’s all produced for a fair-trade salary.

There are a lot of ills in the world. It’s hard to know how to help. But a purchase from Global Gifts is a step in the right direction. You are assuring not only fair wages and safe working conditions, but are usually helping those who need help as well, whether they are HIV-positive, sex trafficking victims, or living in impoverished situations. Your purchase won’t completely heal the world, but it will help.

Now, go shopping.

Global Gifts is open 7 days a week at 682 N. High St. Volunteer opportunities and events can be found on Facebook at Global Gifts Short North. Their website is at globalgiftsft.com. Call 614-621-1744 to sign up for events including the Women Crafting Change Shea Butter Workshop on March 23, 2019; a free Plarn Workshop on April 6, 2019; and their annual Rug Event the evening of May 2, 2019. As a non-profit GG welcomes volunteers. Orientation sessions are held twice a month. Email frances@globalgiftsft.com about volunteering and helping to spread the mission of fair trade.

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