Global Village Gifts

Global Village Gifts is a nonprofit retail store in Logan, Utah that sells Fair Trade products from artisans and farmers around the world. The store first opened in 2003 under the umbrella of Ten Thousand Villages.

When they separated from Ten Thousand Villages in 2005, they asked the community to submit their ideas for a new name. They ended up with Global Village Gifts, a name that truly aligns with every aspect of the organization.

“We take handcrafted items from artisans and we give them back to the community to show that we really are a global village,” says Co-Manager Nan. “We’re all in this together, trying to help each other out.”

Being a nonprofit, the store is staffed almost completely with volunteers. The exception of that being the two new Co-Managers, Kristine and Nan. The store’s multi-faceted mission is to educate the local public on the principles of Fair Trade while supporting global artisans through Fair Trade employment opportunities.

Non-profit retail stores aren’t very common, especially here in Cache Valley. “People wonder how we run our store being a nonprofit,” says Nan.

She explains that being a nonprofit doesn’t mean that the store doesn’t make a profit. “It just means that we pay our overhead costs, and then everything after that goes back directly to the vendors," she says. Because they are nonprofit, the store is actually able “to support more people.”

Every time you walk into Global Village Gifts, you’ll have a new experience. Their inventory is always changing. The items they sell are beautiful, unique, and handcrafted. “All of our vendors are Fair Trade certified.” Explains Nan.

With Fair Trade, you know the artisans making the products have “safe working conditions, there’s no child labor, men and women are paid the same,” says Nan. The artisans are paid a living wage for the work, which means they have enough means to support themselves and their families.

Nan says that one of her favorite things about the store is how it “opens Cache Valley’s eyes to amazing artisans from all over the world.” The store is totally unique in the fact that it provides a way to “still support local businesses while supporting the global community.”

The store moved to its third location about a year ago. Even though it’s just a few doors down from their previous spot, they’re happy with the move. “We get a little more foot traffic here,” says Nan, but right now they really want to focus on making sure people know that they’ve moved. Their new address is 53 E 100 N, Logan, UT 84321.

When Nan isn’t busy co-managing the store with Kristine, she loves reading and learning about other cultures. With a degree in International Studies from USU, she said she was “thrilled to be hired on.”

“I love to learn stories, of people and their backgrounds,” she says. She's intrigued by “people’s stories of their upbringing and their culture.” She loves what she does because it gives her and others the opportunity “to see similarities and to see differences” in the world.

Even though “things have been a little crazy because of COVID,” Nan says that the store is “doing pretty well, all things considered.” They weren’t able to have volunteers in the store for a while and even had to temporarily close, but now they are “trying to get back to business as normal as possible.”

The store is always looking for more volunteers. It’s been a little harder than normal this year because, as Nan explains, even though volunteers only have to fulfill two shifts a month, they have to make a six-month commitment. “A lot of people just don’t know what they’ll be doing in six months,” she says.

If you’re interested in volunteering with Global Village Gifts, you can apply online. You can also support them by donating and following them on Facebook and Instagram.

If you haven’t been to their new location, now is the perfect time to stop in. From coffee and chocolate to mugs and purses, toys and jewelry – you can find a gift for anyone at Global Village and you can feel good about your purchase too. Rather than giving money to a billionaire CEO, you’re shopping locally while supporting and empowering artisans from all over the world.

The store is currently offering curbside pick-up and delivery for those who are unable to come in or don’t feel comfortable shopping in person.

Check out their 2020 Holiday Gift Guide here.

Location

53 East 100 North Logan, Utah 84321

Hours

Monday - Saturday

12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Contact

(435)713-4347

globalvillagegiftslogan@gmail.com

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