News, events and more!

Equipment Grant in Chile
11/10/08

SERRV President Bob Chase visited our two partners in Chile—Fundacion Solidaridad and Comparte. Conditions in Chile have improved dramatically in recent years; however, there are still groups of marginalized people, including indigenous populations and people living in low-income barrios in Santiago and other cities.

As is true throughout the world, our partners are challenged by the economic downturn and are working very hard to maintain their organizations. Bob found that at Fundacion Solidaridad, their copier had recently broken and they were without a digital camera. Since both are vital to doing business, SERRV provided them with funding for a copier and a digital camera. The group sent this thank you photo.


Halloween Fun
11/07/08

Distribution Manager Pete Twenty shows off his best Halloween spirit.
















We've Got Friends...
11/07/08

Customer Service Manager Kathy Harley and SERRV Board Member Colin Crawford pose with Pat Sajak, host of "Wheel of Fortune."


















Grant for Partner in India
11/05/08

As part of our development work with SHARE, a women’s basket making group, SERRV has been assisting with small grants to help the group improve its infrastructure. SHARE’s most recent improvement, assisted through an equipment grant from SERRV, was the purchase of racks to keep samples, finished products and raw materials safe during storage.  SHARE had been having difficulties with finished baskets and raw materials being damaged due to heavy moisture and humidity, or samples losing their color over time.  The storage racks will help reduce damages and maintain quality.

Product Development Specialist Visits Vietnam
11/05/08

SERRV staff member Kerry Evans spent time with our partners in Vietnam last month, working on choosing and developing products.

"I was very pleased to find so many interesting and beautiful products from both Mai Handicrafts and Craft Link," Kerry said. "Since my last visit in 2004, both groups have grown. Mai now has a large new warehouse and Craft Link moved into a larger office located close to their store."













Crossroads Celebration
10/29/08

Cheryl Musch, SERRV's director of international development, visited the 20th Anniversary Dinner for Crossroads Global Handcrafts in Bloomington, Ill. She presented a certificate for the store's dedication to artisans over the years.
 
Pictured below: Cheryl Musch & Carol Schrantz
















Volunteers in Madison
10/21/08

We have wonderful volunteers!














We welcome Mamata Shrestha, a new volunteer in our Product Development Department.














And thanks to SERRV board member Ann Engelman, who volunteered in Fund Development this summer.

Our Product Team Hams it Up
10/21/08
















Indonesia Travelogue, Part 9
10/08/08

Keith and Mitra Bali

Written by Keith Recker, volunteer guest designer for SERRV. Recker has worked with Granet and Associates and Aid to Artisans, and his designs will be included in our newly redesigned catalog and web site.

Well, I am waiting at the Denpasar airport to begin my Bali-Taipei-Los Angeles-New York journey home.  Hard to believe the trip is over. This is one of the most memorable artisan trips I have ever had, and that’s saying something... Read more (plus check out new photographs from the travelogue!


Indonesia Travelogue, Parts 4-8
10/07/08

Written by Keith Recker, volunteer guest designer for SERRV.  Recker has worked with Granet and Associates and Aid to Artisans, and his designs will be included in our newly redesigned catalog and web site.

Today was a short work day. Ari and Indra and I went to the home of Windu, a bone carver Mitra frequently works with. Unfortunately, he was not at home, though we waited for almost 90 minutes.  But his brother and nieces and nephews kept us company from time to time. A one-year-old boy giggled through his bath on the steps earby while we looked at samples of the carving work left in the workshop. Read more.

Staff Member Visits Stores
10/06/08












Jessica King, SERRV marketing member, visited five stores that carry SERRV products in New England, including Gondwana (pictured).

"I was impressed with the variety of stores that carry our products," King said. "Everyone was excited about our mission and is looking forward to the holiday season."


Partner in Nepal Marks Anniversary
10/03/08














Kumbeshwar Technical School, a SERRV partner in Nepal, celebrated its 21st anniversary on October 3. Prizes were distributed to top students in the primary school, certificates of achievement were given to hand-kitting and carpet-eaving trainees and certificates and cash prizes were awarded to the winner of the Design Competition held on World Fair Trade Day last May. KTS primary school student and carpentry trainees performed a cultural program. Congratulations to KTS!

Emergency Funds Sent to Haiti
10/02/08
Following the terrible destruction left by the unprecedented strike of four hurricanes on the already impoverished country of Haiti, SERRV sent emergency relief funds to our partner in Haiti, Comite Artesanal Haitien (CAH). CAH reported that almost the entire country has been affected by the destruction. Several artisans had their roofs blown off, and water and mud flooded the workshops, destroying raw materials and finished products. One artisan lost his life, after being hit by a falling tree. Part of the funds sent by SERRV helped to cover costs for the artisan's funeral, send money to his family, and to help others rebuild.

CAH sent their thanks: "Our losses are huge and it will take us time to evaluate with accuracy the size of the destruction in areas still out of reach. We wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to all CAH's partners who called, prayed, and supported us during these difficult times."

Donations for flood relief are still being collected by SERRV: Donate Here

Indonesia Travelogue, Part 3
10/02/08
Written by Keith Recker, volunteer guest designer for SERRV. Recker has worked with Granet and Associates and Aid to Artisans, and his designs will be included in our newly redesigned catalog and web site.

This morning started a little bit later than the others, which gave me more time to walk around town. I am told that most of the hotels in town are full because of the national holiday this week, Idul Fitre. Many tourists from Jakarta and Surabaya have come to Bali for a week of relaxation and beach-going and shopping. Read more.

From Halfway Around the World
10/02/08
We were very fortunate to have visitors in Madison from Marketplace: Handwork of India. Pictured below (from left) are Pushpicka Freitas, president of MarketPlace; Sunanda Zunjar, Nooreen Dossa and Shardha Ghadge.















Check out this great post from Shayna Miller at Madison Magazine regarding the visit.

Indonesia Travelogue, Part 2
10/01/08
Written by Keith Recker, volunteer guest designer for SERRV. Recker has worked with Granet and Associates and Aid to Artisans, and his designs will be included in our newly redesigned catalog and web site.

I woke up just as the sun rose, and watched the sky come alive with apricot and lavendar fire in the clouds – fluffy, slow-moving tropical clouds. My early morning walk today was more interesting as more stores were open this time, and I got a chance to see a few beautiful products – including some batik fabrics made in very traditional ways. Read more.

Indonesia Travelogue, Part 1
09/30/08
Written by Keith Recker, volunteer guest designer for SERRV. Recker has worked with Granet and Associates and Aid to Artisans, and his designs will be included in our newly redesigned catalog and web site.

Some trips make the world seem small, and others immensely large. My 30 hour journey from Los Angeles to Bali is one of the latter! A typhoon blowing across the island of Taiwan on September 29 was responsible for 10 of the 30, but as I watched the rain and wind lash the windows of the airport, it seemed wiser to wait it out on the ground. Read more.


Celebrating the Improved SERRV
09/19/08
We held parties in honor of our new identity at...















Our New Windsor Operations Center
















Our Madison Office
















Our Madison SERRV Store


Thanks to everyone who joined in to create these enriching experiences!


A New SERRV Experience
09/18/08








Maybe you've noticed our new site design or received a slick new catalog in the mail.

We are a fresh, new, improved SERRV. We're trading in the name "A Greater Gift" and reaching out in new ways to eradicate poverty wherever it resides. SERRV is an enriching way of making the world a better place for all of us.

A Greater Ambition than ever before.

With sixty amazing years of history behind us, we are committed to having a greater impact than ever before. With a distinctive new look and feel, we now have a sharper focus on the fabulous handmade products sold on behalf of Artisans around the world.

Our redesigned gift shops, catalog and web site both showcase our new look and invite you to enrich your mind, body and soul. With your help, SERRV becomes a powerful tool for putting right the imbalance in the world.

What are you waiting for?

Sharing Resources with SHARE
09/14/08
When we visited SHARE in southern India last November, we were impressed to find an energized organization of women impacting the lives of women in many positive ways. Their organization uses economic empowerment as a stepping stone for women to gain confidence and have a greater voice in their families and communities. They told us that to improve the production of the palm leaf baskets that are woven by women in 27 villages they wanted to build a common dyeing facility at the SHARE office. This would help assure that dyed palm leaf colors would be consistent and would allow them to teach dyeing skills to new members. SERRV supported this effort with a grant and the dyeing facility is now built and working!  Their next project is to build storage racks to protect raw materials and finished products from damages from humidity.  If you would like to make a donation to support projects such as these, please visit our donate page.

Reading Glasses Project
09/05/08
We received 137 pairs of reading glasses donated by SERRV board member Sally Keller's fair trade store. These glasses will go to artisans in Bangladesh and Mali, and elsewhere this year.