Tuesdays with Trades of Hope: Why We Do What We Do

I'm so excited to have the opportunity to introduce to you another of the co-founders of Trades of Hope, the fair trade home party company that is both my job and my passion. {You can read about the events that led to my finally joining this amazing group of women here.}


I could go on and on {and often do} about the way that this company is changing lives domestically and internationally, but I know that many people have questions about the whys and hows of how such a unique company works. With this in mind, I asked my friend Holly {one of the four co-founders of Trades of Hope} if she would be willing to be interviewed for my blog. {You can read part one of my interview with Holly here.}


I received some great questions from readers and home party attendees, but one question that I was personally asked was very difficult for me to answer. I knew that the way the question was asked that the questioner did not understand what we are doing, but I didn't have the words of experience to answer her in an intelligent way.


Holly and her co-founder Gretchen both gave me great insight into this question. Gretchen founded an orphanage in Haiti and has answered this same question many times over her years working for relief organizations.  I am blessed to share their experiences and insight with you, and hope it is as eye-opening for you as it was for me.

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Heatherly: What would you say to people that ask why we don't just make donations to these women and the co-ops that support them?


Gretchen:  At times, during natural disasters and national crisis there is of course a need for charity and relief.  After working years for relief organizations we feel that we are called to focus more on development.  We have met so many mothers over the past 10 years that just wanted to be able to feed their children.  They wanted to be able to send their children to school and offer them hope for a fulfilling future. 

Many times, charity unknowingly negatively effects the little economic activity that is happening in a community.  After the earthquake in Haiti, the company that makes Crocs generously sent thousands of pairs of Crocs for the victims of the earthquake.  I am not saying that this was a bad thing to do, and under that circumstances was probably the right thing to do, but it did have a negative effect for the people that sell shoes along the road and for the individual shoe makers in Haiti.  There were still vendors that had to make a living and tried to come out within 2 days of the earthquake to sell and make shoes.  

Holly: The damage to Haitian companies is making it harder for them to get back on their feet and create the jobs the country needs for lasting recovery. We need to think through the consequences of our charity. We need to give it because it helps long term, not just to make us feel good. 

Gretchen: Charity at times, helps to perpetuate the vicious cycle of poverty.  The sad thing is that charity like this happens on a daily basis around the globe.  People with the best of intentions do not see the bigger picture.  

Holly: We need to be wise with our charity. Instead of sending clothes to the women whose sewing machine was ruined in the earth quake, we bought her a new one.  That kind of charity helps. We want to help them create a sustainable businesses that allows them to now be a resource of help to create  jobs for their neighbors and village. 


There is a deeper wound that is left by charity that is not thought out. Emotionally it hurts when people feel as though they have no value because they cannot add anything to their lives and the lives of those they love. It is a desperate feeling to rely on others for your food, shelter and over all well being. We were created to work and there is a genuine feeling of satisfaction when we can provide for ourselves and our families. Just giving things to people is a short term and short sighted solution.


Gretchen: Over the years it was very frustrating to not be able to offer mothers a real solution.  A real solution that wasn't a hand out or at times even abandonment of their children.  We want to help to lift people up, allowing them to reach their potential for who God has created them to be.

We love that the cooperatives and ministries that we purchase our products from do just that.  They are offering to these woman a chance to earn a decent wage so that they can make a life for themselves.  How much more fulfilling for Grace in the Philippines to earn her income in a safe, healthy environment so that she can feed her family, rather than to be handed a bowl of food each day?

Think about the difference in the way that Grace is going to be able to raise her children, teaching them a solid work ethic, instead of going to the mission to pick up whatever they are handing out.  That is the way to raise a generation if at all possible.

We believe it is possible and that by partnering with groups that are focused on community and individuals personnel development, it is a great step in ending poverty for many people around the world.  We believe that a self sustaining, business model will be around long after many charities have gone home.  It is in our power to help, and we are so excited to be part of a real, multigeneralational solution! 

Holly: Trades of Hope is about long term solutions. We are helping to create and maintain businesses by purchasing their beautiful products to sell at our home parties to help them maintain their businesses. This is helping to rescue families from slums, sweatshops, the sex trade and extreme poverty. We also have Gifts of Hope, which is purchasing goats to sell milk, chickens to sell eggs, and sewing machines and business tools to help create sustainable businesses. 

Thank you, Gretchen and Holly!

For those of you that are interested in learning more about the perspective on charity that Holly and Gretchen have shed light on, Gretchen suggests "two excellent books on development verses relief":  When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert and Banker to the Poor by Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

 Gretchen (Left) and Holly (center) pictured with Holly's daughter Chelsie (Right).
Not pictured: Gretchen's daughter and  Trades of Hope co-founder, Liz.

*Obviously, as I work for Trades of Hope, I want the business end to succeed- the more products we sell the more women we help, the more opportunities we create. But I am not compensated to share my views or "advertise" for this  company.  These women have captured my heart. The opinions are my own. The passion is from Him.