With Faith and Determination, Global Goods Store Opens in Dubuque, Iowa
11/10/2009
Chair of the Board, John Woodin and Executive Director of Faith Restored, Inc., Jaunita Nelson receive welcome plaque from the Dubuque community association
A customer admiring some of the wonderful work from artisans from around the world
Community leaders along with members of various United Methodist Churches gathered around the front of the new Global Goods Store for a wonderful ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the fair trade store in downtown Dubuque, Iowa. The opening ceremony took place on Monday evening, November 9 with individuals from different United Methodist churches showing that with a connection and determination to work together that anything is possible. The new Global Goods store is located in the large stone house that used to be the parsonage on Main Street next to St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
“This Global Goods store benefits 500,000 homes all around the world and is the only fair trade store in the tri-state area that is 100% completely dedicated to fair trade items said Rev. Diane Christopher of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Paul Clark, a member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church said that the Global Goods store was a joint venture with many of the local churches coming together. The parsonage sitting right next to St. Luke’s on Main Street was in disrepair and had been used for rental property but had just been sitting empty for some time. Paul said that the “churches started sharing ideas of how to use the property and then started to clean it up and do repairs and to finally open this Global Goods store”.
“The Global Goods store is a fair trade gift shop and was a dream of John Woodin, chair of the Board of Directors of Faith Restored”, said Juanita Nelson, Executive Director of Faith Restored, Inc. The Global Goods store has items for sale that are all 100% fair trade items from artisans from Guatemala, Kenya, China, Peru and other places around the world said Juanita. “The store is also a local mission that is working with individuals from Adult Rehab Centers who come in on Thursdays to do some work” said Juanita. Also the store utilizes University of Dubuque interns to help work in the store as volunteers. Juanita is also in conversation with other colleges around the Dubuque area to discuss possibilities of internships for the store.
The really great thing is how the United Methodist churches from around Dubuque area have bonded together to do what we think is a great global mission said John Woodin. Every time that someone purchases something from the Global Goods Store, the person who hand made the item gets a fair wage for their work. All of the items are unique and one of a kind made from many distant places from around the world. John said, “When you buy something at the store to give as a gift to someone, you are actually giving two gifts, one to the person you purchased it for and the other for the person who hand made the product in a struggling in an economic area in the world.”
As the hand made products make their way to the shelves in the Global Goods store, an artisan who is struggling can now sell their wares to do something we take for granted like putting a door on their house. This is an amazing story with the formation of a non-profit corporation called Faith Restored which came from the sale of Faith United Methodist Church. “We think this store is going to do wonderful things globally as well as locally for individuals in the Dubuque area” said John.
Rev. Diane Mitchell, Associate Pastor at St. Luke’s UMC said, “I find it hard to put into words how exciting this really is, this culmination of dreams, to really help and make a difference in so many people’s lives. We actually are helping individuals to feed their families”. Pastor Jennifer Meyer from Rockdale UMC said, “John was dreaming about global goods, Faith UMC was dreaming about how to use their money and gifts for the mission of God, and now four years later we are all together. Every time you buy anything here you are helping someone and that just makes me want to buy everything!”
Former member of Faith UMC and now a member of St. Luke’s, Betty Martin said “This is an exciting day. Faith United Methodist church was always active in mission outreach and this is now the resurrection of Faith church. It’s marvelous that all the congregations can now work together in this united effort.”
The Global Goods fair trade store is located at 1141 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa.
- Kevin D. Evers