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BETHANY COLLEGE HOSTED ALTERNATIVE GIFT MARKET
Bethany College’s annual Alternative Gift Market raised $2,833.75 during its two-day sale. The funds go to Alternative Gifts International to support causes throughout the world.
Students is seminar classes at Bethany made holiday items and sold them, with funds going to such causes as milk for preschoolers in Gaza Spring, goats for food security in Ethiopia, free wheelchairs in Cambodia, phones and radios for healthcare workers in Africa, safe havens for lost kids in Kenya, Let the Blind See in Guatemala, The Doctor’s Satchel in North Korea, Single Moms Step Forward in the United States, Wealth of the Rainforest in Panama and Nicaragua, rescue for children at risk in China and Young Peace Builders in the U.S. and globally.
“We had a goal to raise trees for Haiti so they could repopulate their nation. We met our goals to sell as many as we could and involve the Bethany community,” freshmen participant Yaphete Msgna said. “There is hope for the people of Haiti. We do believe we made a difference.”
“Ninety percent goes directly to the charities with the other ten percent for administrative costs,” said Jessica Schierling, director of career services and one of the coordinators of the event, along with Noni Strand, campus pastor.
Handcrafted items, baked goods, artisan breads, jewelry and knitted items were also available. Director of the Alumni Office Jennifer Greenup designed this year’s featured collectible item. The ornaments were tiny bandages, chemo-caps and sweaters knitted with toothpicks. They were in honor of Knit Wits, an intergenerational service group of knitters and Bethany and in the Lindsborg community.
The Social Awareness Advocacy Team also participated in the Alternative Gift Market, selling free trade products, like coffee, baking chocolate, teas, gift bags and hot chocolate mix. The group raised $435, which will go to Lutheran World Relief.
Kimberly Streit, president of the Social Awareness Advocacy Team, said, “Fair trade is necessary because it gives people in other countries a fair price for the products that they make, and, also, it helps our community in that we get higher quality products.”
Bethany and Harvard College were the only colleges to participate in Alternative Gift Market at one time. It has since spread to other communities and colleges. “We find it’s a good way to involve people, get the Christmas spirit going, and maybe not focus on the materialistic side of Christmas,” Schierling said.
Dr. Linda Lewis, professor of English at Bethany, was among many shoppers at the Alternative Gift Market. “I think we get and give too much junk at Christmas. The opportunity to give clean drinking water to people who don’t have it that seems to me a far more worthwhile thing than giving one more gadget that somebody doesn’t need,” she said.
Note: Bethany senior Jill Warner wrote this story.
Photo identification: Shoppers at Alternative Gift Market browse items on sale.
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