Trade As One

Cath George, the only woman on our team who can rightfully claim the title of Mom (or “Mum,” as those crazy Brits say), wrote today’s blog post. It’s a toast to Mums everywhere. Enjoy.

There’s no doubt that mums are special and that the mother-child relationship is fundamental to us all.  As we think of our mums with all of our joy/security/regret/insecurity, I’d encourage us all to look out for other mums around us who need encouragement or support at whatever stage they are at- and then, wider than that, to put ourselves in the place of mothers in very tough and poverty stricken corners of our world.  My mind goes to our Trade as One producer mums! 

I propose a toast to Mums near and far.  Here’s to:

• all the mums who struggle, and to all the kids and adults who struggle with their mums,
• mums getting up every night for their kids,
• those getting up at night to check on elderly mums,
• mums struggling to make a wage,
• mums wishing they could feed their kids more nourishing food,
• mums who going without themselves in order to feed their kids,
• mums juggling the responsibilities of work and home, and feeling they are doing neither as well as they’d like,
• brave single mums who are hanging in there and showing fortitude and love,
• mum’s who are the sole bread-winners in their households,
• mums who look after numerous children and several generations,
• grandmothers who are acting as mum’s,
• teenage children who are orphaned and have the role of mum thrust upon them,
• young people who never intended to be a mum quite yet but find themselves in that place,
• the women who would have made fantastic mums but it hasn’t happened for them,
• mums who yearn to see their kids,
• and to mums who’d like a break from them.

So, here’s to the mothers who are the fabulous Trade as One producers! 
We wish you a happy Mother’s Day!  We at Trade as One send you our love and respect and we endeavor to support you as you skillfully and bravely work producing the beautiful and useful products that we enjoy. Thank you!

So if you haven’t already thought of a mother’s day gift for your own mum here in the US then think about a gift from Trade as One- you’ll be sending a message of care and thanks in two directions- to your own mother and to the Trade as One producer mums! 

- Cath George, daughter and daughter in law of a 2 top-notch mothers, and mother to 3 high-energy boys.

The Trade as One team has been blessed with some wonderful moms. We’re going to be profiling (read: embarrassing) them here on the blog this week. Next up is Stu’s mom: Kay Rentz.

I’m convinced that Kay Rentz (better known to her 3 grandsons as “Special”) is one of the most caring mothers walking the face of this Earth.  She is the definition of a Kindergarten teacher – she greets everyone with a hug, she can sympathize with anyone, and she makes you feel like you are the most important one in the room.
In particular, Special Kay has two gifts that not only make her an amazing mom but also make her an amazing ambassador for Fair Trade.  #1 – She simply loves helping people.  #2 – She loves teaching/convincing others to do the same.
Her selflessness is demonstrated daily whether it’s in the way that she currently takes care of her own mother and mother-in-law or in her attentiveness to the needs of neighbors, church members, co-workers, etc.  For example, while my brother and I were in high school my mom volunteered to bake and serve the pre-game meal for the my entire football team and staff. For five straight years, my mom would prepare her famous pizza-spaghetti recipe every Friday afternoon for fifty large, hungry, teenage boys.  Just as I see my mom as representing the classic definition of a kindergarten teacher, I also see her as defining small-town, Southern generosity (Pickens, SC – population of 3,012), where you show kindness to strangers and there’s no favor from a good friend that’s too big.
Her enthusiasm for helping others is infectious and I know it’s part of the reason that I landed at Trade as One.  The great thing about my mom, though, is that when her general enthusiasm isn’t quite enough to convince you to join her efforts, she has no fear of pushing, pulling, or using her motherly instincts to spur other people to action.
In fact, my mom is just the type of Fair Trade ambassador that we had in mind when we created the Just One program – an program that churches, schools, and groups of any size can use to educate their friends on the potential impact of Fair Trade and convince them to just purchase one fair trade product.  When we launched Just One last Fall, my mom went around to each Sunday School classroom in their church and showed them the Just One video on a laptop computer (apparently my dad joined her on this education quest as her “Video Technician” which I think is just my mom’s fancy way of saying that my dad held the laptop and pressed the play button each time).  The response from Pickens Presbyterian Church was amazing and I’m pretty sure that on a per-capita basis Pickens, SC is now one of the leaders in the Fair Trade movement.
I love my mom.  I have so much respect for how she lives her life.  And I am so appreciative for all the ideals that she instilled in me.

-Stu

The Trade as One team has been blessed with some wonderful moms. We’re going to be profiling (read: embarrassing) them here on the blog this week. Next up is Rachel’s mom: Joanie Karpanty.

Trying to articulate my feelings about my mom is not an easy task. How do I put to words gratitude for the person who selflessly raised me? So mom, know that I won’t be able to capture it all and know part of what made you such an incredible woman was the fact I don’t know all of the things you did along the way for me!
When I think of my mom, the first thing I think of is her big smile matched only by a bigger heart. When she enters a room, she brings with her joy. I remember as a kid stating that I didn’t quite know what my mom “did” but I wanted to be like her when I grew up. From a now adult perspective, I realize that what my mom “did” (and still does!) is love people well. Regardless of who you are, she will look you in the eye, treat you kindly and love you where you are. This would sound cliché if not for the truth of the statement and the fact that I have dozen of witnesses. It always cracks me up that in the town where my parents live, everyone just knows my mom by her first name. Joanie! We like to tease her that she’s right up there in name recognition with Oprah, Cher or Madonna.
I also love that she puts other people first and says hard things to help other people become better. I have watched people’s lives be changed by the words she has spoken to them. While she is courageous and probably seems very brave at the time of speaking truth to people, I know from living with her the price she pays for that. It doesn’t come easily to say things to people that have the power to transform them if they are open to it but the power to ruin a relationship if they don’t. But, she always sees the bigger picture and acts accordingly.
This past weekend, my parents visited from Michigan and one of my favorite things was hearing my mom laugh hysterically. When I was a kid, I remember her laughing so hard and so loudly that people would turn to stare but eventually laughed along with her. There is nothing better than laughing so hard you cry, snort and smack your knee (a family trait passed down from my grandpa!)
Thanks mom for living a life filled with sacrifice, integrity and joy. Your generous heart has blessed not only me but every person whose path crosses yours! I am grateful for your example, for the ways we are alike and different and can now appreciate why people always wanted (and still want!) you to be their mom. Glad you’re mine!

- Rachel

The Trade as One team has been blessed with some wonderful moms. We’re going to be profiling (read: embarrassing) them here on the blog this week. First up is Kevin’s mom: Brenda Madsen.

My mom is so cool. She was “blessed” with three boys within 5 years of each other, and has handled 25+ years of boys destroying her house with a seemingly endless supply of grace and perspective. She has always been a second mom to all of my friends, and on several occasions I had girls over to the house with the intention of actually spending time with them, only to find that they were only interested in hanging out with my mom. She’s that mom.

Rather than just throwing a bunch of superlatives at you, I’m going to tell you a little story that i think encapsulates my mom.

When I was 15, A.D.D., cocky, and essentially unteachable, my mom took on the unenviable task of teaching me to drive. Why she decided to do this is beyond me. She let me drive to my doctor, and I was doing fine until it was time to park. Freaking out as I tried to park our 1995 Dodge Caravan between two cars, I hit the gas instead of the brake. Repeatedly.

By an act of God, I somehow avoided hitting either of the two cars. However, I did manage to take our family van on an unplanned 4-Wheeling adventure. I finally found the brake, and the car skidded to a stop about 5 feet from a busy cross-street.

My mom was laughing uncontrollably. This infuriated me. She then calmly removed me from the driver’s seat and proceeded to back the car over the lawn, and back into the parking spot that I was initially aiming at.

After calming down her hyperventilating son (me), we went upstairs to my appointment. After that weird 20 minute wait in a dressing gown with my mom in the room, the doctor came into the room laughing. I asked him why he was laughing. He said, “The nurses were just in the hallway telling me about some kid who tried to park in the parking lot and drove all the way up onto the grass. It sounded hilarious.” My face went completely white.

My mom, not a hint of a smile on her face, says, “Poor kid,” then immediately changes the subject.

My fragile ego intact, I lived to drive another day.

That’s why I love my mom. She always has my back, with a word of encouragement, well-timed advice, or a well-kept secret.

Happy Early Mother’s Day, mom.

- Kevin

Happy 40th Earth Day!
Care and respect for our planet as well as its people is very much part of the Fair Trade ethos.

One doesn’t work without the other. Trade as One, and indeed the whole Fair Trade movement, actively supports environmentally friendly farming and business practices throughout the trading chain.  Environmental sustainability is a core principle of the Fair Trade movement.
Trade as One’s consumables like coffee, tea, rice, sugar and olive oil are all organically farmed, our body care products are paraben-free and unrefined, many of our journals are paper-free, the leather in the journals comes from cruelty-free leather, our wooden products are sustainably harvested, and many of our products are made from recycled materials.  Supporting rural artisans around our planet keeps ancient communities together, and keeps traditions and crafts alive. Earth-friendly, fair trade practices allows these talented groups to thrive and to earn a living wage with dignity, and stops the flow of peoples to cities and often to the slums surrounding them.
So, this Earth Day take a walk, enjoy the view, stop and smell the roses, ride a bike, hang the washing out to dry, use a travel cup, leave the bottled water on the supermarket shelf, reduce, reuse, recycle and when you shop keep your conscience with you!
Live simply. Give generously. Buy ethically.

Trade as One