Gift festival offers fair trade merchandise

The annual holiday International Gift Festival will be held at Mountain View Mennonite Church in Creston on Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The fair trade Ten Thousand Villages sale benefits Third World artistans in more than 30 countries. Handcrafted items for sale include Christmas ornaments and decorations, baskets, jewelry, linens, purses, paper goods, instruments, toys, decorative items, pots, kitchen goods and much more.

The Village Cafe will offer African ground nut stew, chicken chili, sirloin chili, homemade pies, Chai tea and fair trade coffee.

At this sale there will also be a collection taken for health kits to be distributed to those around the world experiencing poverty, and to orphans and victims of war and terrorism.

One kit includes

n 1 toothbrush (adult size; and leave it in the wrapper)

n 1 squeeze-tube toothpaste (minimum 130 ml / 6 oz; leave in box)

n 1 large bar of bath soap (flat-folded preferred)

n 1 fingernail clipper

n 1 hand towel (dark color; larger than fingertip)

A few special events at the sale include the Flathead High School Choral-Aires singing at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday; and Doug Dirks, master story-teller from Ten Thousand Villages, speaking Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 11 am. (See story below for more details.)

Sales of all products purchased through Ten Thousand Villages go to support the artisan, and any additional proceeds go to help those in poverty around the world, including support for Faith Alive Aids Clinic in Nigeria. Village Café proceeds are sent to Smile Train, an organization that repairs cleft palates around the world.

Mountain View Mennonite Church is located at 795 Mennonite Church Road in Creston. Call 755-8772 for more information or visit www.mountainviewmc.org