Planting Hope

It is the final fair of the year for Dolma Designs and one that I look forward to every time. The Solidarity Craft Fair is an annual fundraiser for Planting Hope, a Montpelier based non-profit that works in Nicaragua.

The event is held in the Unitarian Church on Main St. in Montpelier. It is a quaint space filled to the brim with tables showcasing beautifully handcrafted gifts fairly traded or made in Vermont. It is a great collection of high quality and affordable gifts that are helping a noble cause - the perfect concept for a holiday fair.

Planting Hope envisions 'global equality, sustainable growth and mutual understanding through the exchange of social, cultural and material riches of Nicaragua and the U.S.' They have several ongoing projects including a cultural exchange program and a weaving school that they created to offer fair trade job opportunities and preserves cultural art forms simultaneously. They built a library equipped with computers and books that also offers classes to the 50 students who come through each day and they built a preschool to prepare the younger children for grade school.

For Planting Hope, the craft fair is a a good fundraiser for the end of the year. Each vendor at the fair pays a booth fee that goes directly to the community in Nicaragua. We each donate an item for a silent auction and the sales from the delicious homemade soups all add up. At a time when we are feeling the longing to help others, the Solidarity Craft Fair is the place to be.