Some love from Healdsburg Patch!

Local Group Seeks to Make Healdsburg a Fair Trade Town!

Fair Trade Healdsburg Minutes 6/27/11

-Goal 2 is just about completed.  A number of merchant surveys were completed and we now have a list compiled of all the stores that carry FT products to plug into google maps.  Once Chamber is involved this list can be given to them to post on their site if possible.

-Next step is to reach out to churches and community organizations, educate, gain support and get them to switch over to using/serving FT products.  Steve and Krystalynn have already connected with some and are coming up with a brochure/handout for easier more concise viewing.  Kim will contact about serving coffee (or tea/hot cocoa/ choc)  at churches with info table for members .

- Everyone to come up with list of questions for other established FT towns. Email to Kim who will compile and split up cities so we can contact and gather useful info (like how they gained community support, chamber support, how they marketed, etc)

-Steve viewed webinar on engaging churches, great notes. Webinar available online to view on fair trade USA website.

-Steve also reviewed meeting with Mayor Tom Chambers.  Packet was reviewed, interest expressed, no problems foreseen.  Next step is to get on the city council meetings agenda.

-Thanks to Herb Lieberman for attending and sharing his thoughts and expertise.

-Thanks to Ann Carranza from The Healdsburg Patch. She will be posting info about Fair Trade Healdsburg on the online community new site.  Also will do follow ups.  Healdsburg.patch.com

-Perhaps as another way to reach out to businesses and promote the ones carrying Ft products we should have a day where we set up a table with Ft info and serve chocolate.  Businesses need to be contacted about that. 

Next meeting 2 weeks?  We did not discuss.  I’ll keep everyone posted!  J

Let's make Healdsburg the next Fair Trade Town!

The Bay Area is at the forefront of the Fair Trade Towns movement, as San Francisco is a Fair Trade City and Berkeley has recently passed a city resolution to become a Fair Trade Town. Congratulations, Berkeley!  Oakland and Calistoga are also in the process of  becoming a Fair Trade Town.  Let's make Healdsburg the next Fair Trade Town!

Tell your Friends and Family: Fair Trade is Improving Lives!

Spread the word that Fair Trade improves lives worldwide! Fair Trade USA has a brand new micro-documentary explaining Fair Trade in less than 2 minutes.
Click link below for video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tvLHDxv4B4&feature=player_embedded

Appointment with the Mayor!

Right on Steve for getting an appointment with our Mayor next Tuesday!  Moving forward.

6/13/11 Fair Trade Healdsburg Minutes

Welcome members of The Progressive Club and Michelle, also thanks to Michelle for opening up and allowing us to meet at her lovely establishment!

Reviewing:

Business canvass overview-

*Gretchen and Kim started the first step in phase 2, canvassing the town to handout the retail outreach letter and retail survey.  Reactions varied from excitement and interest to hesitancy.

Checking back in to touch base and hopefully pick up completed surveys.  Gretchen already received 1 back!  J

The goal in this phase for now is to gain support from businesses.  In the future after getting them to appreciate the good in being designated a fair trade town we move on to encouraging/requesting businesses to bring on, say, 1 more fair trade product.

*A wonderful response to Becky’s presentation at Kaiser, proposal to be given to Kaiser corporate with the goal of changing over to using and serving fair trade coffee.

Goals and new discussions:

*One World is to bring on Stop Human Trafficking products.

*Steve and Krystalynn have distributed community organization letters to ministers in the area and will be following up in the next couple weeks.

*Next canvass to be scheduled in groups with whoever would like to take part, as many members of the community that take part in this as possible would be great.  We could make more of an impact on business owners/managers.

“What’s in it for the business?”

                Free advertising on our blog with link to their sites as well as advertising at any events we do.

                New customers, bringing in the business of people that are specifically looking for fair trade       items

                Being designated a fair trade town will be another reason Healdsburg can list to make it a             destination point

*We need a media blurb, dvd, brochure to pass out to any interested. 

*We will be reaching out to Kiwanis and Rotary clubs. Steve will look into setting up a meeting with Rotary and Krystalynn can present, attend to support!

*We are also looking into Fair Trade Healdsburg T-shirts. 

*Next meeting to be on the 27^th, same time and place.

More Than 50,000 Attendees for World Fair Trade Day!

Over 300 World Fair Trade Day events took place in the US & Canada from May 1-15. North America has already involved over 50,000 people - and we're still counting! One World Fair Trade, in Healdsburg, served 140 cups of Fair Trade coffee that week and donated $400 to Ganesh Himal to help build a new workshop for Fair Trade artisans in Nepal!