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Alternative Gift Fair

A purposeful and sustainable holiday season

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A meaningful approach to the holiday season.

For over a decade, First Pres has been promoting a more meaningful approach to the holiday season with our Alternative Gift Fair (AGF).

This event has become a cherished tradition for many, offering a chance to select unique gifts in the form of charitable donations and fair trade products from across the globe. For more information email: agf@firstpreshc.org.

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This Fair takes place at the church on the first weekend in December: on Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm and Sunday from 9 am - 1 pm. Participants may explore alternative gifts, shop for fair trade items, and participate in Children's Corner. We also have fairly traded Equal Exchange coffee, chocolate, and olive oil available. We accept payments through credit cards, cash, and checks.

Fair Trade Shopping

We offer beautiful fair trade items curated from around the world by SERRV and Ten Thousand Villages. From intricately crafted nativities to home decor, kitchen essentials, and outdoor items, our selection offers a diverse range of thoughtful gifts. Additionally, we feature an extensive assortment of SERRV’s perennial favorites: soup mixes, teas, seasoning blends, and other food items. Proceeds from the sale of the fairly-traded items fund activities of the Guatemala project, including offsetting the cost of travel for delegates participating in trips to Guatemala. And by purchasing fair trade goods, shoppers directly support global artisans - ensuring that these artisans have a place to sell their products, are fairly paid, and their working conditions and communities are healthy.

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Children's Corner

Children’s Corner is an exclusive area for young shoppers (college age and younger) to select and wrap gifts for their loved ones away from adult eyes! You can provide a list of family, friends, teachers, and others the child will be shopping for, set a budget (items ranging from $1 to $12), and then let the child take charge. Shopping assistants are on hand to assist children who need help, ensuring even the littlest ones can participate. Every gift in the Children’s Corner is a high-quality fair trade item – you won’t be disappointed, and your child’s shopping earns these artisans vital income to support their families!

Alternative Gifts

There's no purer way to avoid commercialism than by making a charitable donation in honor of your recipient. At the AGF, we offer gift cards and detailed inserts featuring a range of local, national, and international charities. When you make a donation, you can pick up a card to send to your recipient, and our AGF team handles the process of passing on 100% of the donations to the organizations. Plus, rest assured, we will not add you to their mailing lists. 

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