Share the Love this Valentine’s Day

Parker Townley January 23, 2014

Below we have compiled a number of ideas and resources (including discounts!) to help make your Valentine’s Day easy and educational.

Valentines to Farmers and Artisans

Wouldn’t it be great if you could send a note of personal thanks and gratitude to Fair Trade Farmers and Artisans? Well now you can! We are partnering with three companies (more about them below) to send Valentines to Africa, South America and Asia.

Valentine's Day 1

How does it Work?

It’s easy, simply follow these steps:

  1. Print out our Valentine Template (Click Here). Or make your own custom Valentines to send out.
  2. Table or Host an Event. Plan an event, work with a group in your community already hosting one, or set up a table in a high traffic area.
  3. Collect Valentines. Ask folks to stop by and write down a message of support or thanks.
  4. Send them back to us by Feb. 28th (to the address below) We will then forward them on to cooperatives and farms!

     ATTN: Parker Townley | 1500 Broadway, Suite 400 | Oakland, CA 94612

Who do the Valentines go to? (Alert: Discounts below!)

Valentines will be sent to the people who produce the chocolate, flowers and artisan goods commonly associated with Valentine’s Day. Please feel free to address your Valentines to one or all of these groups!

Chocolate

  • Company: Divine Chocolate USA
  • Co-op: Kuapa Kokoo – Ghana (Africa)Agrogana: Cotopaxi, Ecuador
  • The Deal: 10% off an entire order
  • Discount Code: FAIR14
  • Tabling Resource: Click Here (contains info about the coop!)

Flowers

  • Company: One World Flowers
  • Farm: Inversiones Ponte Tresa – Ecuador (South America)
  • The Deal: 15% off any order placed by February 7th
  • Discount Code: FTC15OFF
  • Tabling Resource: Click Here (contains info about the coop!)

Artisan Goods, Crafts and Gifts (Jewelry!)

  • Company: Ten Thousand Villages
  • Co-op: Craft Link – Vietnam (Asia)
  • The Deal: 25% off one item
  • Discount Code: FTUSA2014
  • Tabling Resource: Click Here (contains info about the coop!)

Can I send a Virtual Valentine?

Answer: Yes, you can join our ThunderClap!

What’s a ThunderClap?

VDayFarmers

  • A Thunderclap is like an online flashmob – folks sign up to donate a post on either Facebook or Twitter, then at a given time everyone automatically posts the same message. Our goal is to get 100 people to share their support for cocoa farmers.
  • Click here to join our Fair Trade Valentines Day thunderclap on February 11th.  Help Fair Trade go viral!

UPDATE: We surpassed our goal by over 25%! On February 11th our message reached over 150,000 people – thank you!

One Comment

  1. […] Give to Artisans: Fair trade certified products have become more available to purchase in the U.S. By being certified, it ensures that artisans receive a fair value for their handiwork.  Ten Thousand Villages provides fair trade certified products in all of its stores nationwide. Keep an eye out for other handmade products as well; it might be more difficult for some artisans abroad to undergo the certification process, but some local stores such as ONE in Duxbury, MA respect their work and offer fair values for the goods. If you’re hoping to go the more traditional route, Fair Trade Campaigns has put together this great list of three chocolate, flower, and artisan goods companies that are offering DISCOUNTS! […]

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Parker Townley, National Organizer | Fair Trade Colleges & Universities

Parker Townley works for Fair Trade Colleges and Universities to help connect students and faculty with the resources they need to effectively campaign for Fair Trade on campus. In his free time Parker explores the Sierra Nevadas with his trusty backpack, roams the Bay Area in search of the perfect cup of coffee, and cultivates a small veggie garden.