This is a great opportunity to gain management, leadership, interpersonal, and event-planning skills, while also interacting with the greater Lehigh and Bethlehem communities.

Job Details:

$10/hour

5-15 hours per week

Pre-planning begins in March; market runs June-October

Responsibilities may include:

• Investigating new marketing opportunities in an effort to bring more patrons to the market
• Actively participating in Social Media Marketing
• Distribution of posters and promotional materials to area businesses and around campus
• Organizing and/or hiring entertainment for the market and brainstorming new types of entertainment
• Assisting in the development and execution of special events and promotions
• Assisting in drafting press releases related to the market’s events
• Presence at weekly market, including set-up and break-down
• Assisting in design and distribution of the market’s newsletter, FreshFacts

• Executing a survey at the end of the market, compiling data, and including the data in a formal report
• Any other miscellaneous tasks that present themselves throughout the length of the market

Please provide:

A resume

Contact information for a reference

To:

Brynn Buskirk

Assistant Director, Marketing

Lehigh University Business Services

516 Brodhead Ave

Bethlehem PA 18015

Brb207@lehigh.edu

610.758.4652

“For more than 60 years Ten Thousand Villages has worked with talented artisans around the world providing vital, fair income in exchange for their beautiful handcrafted items,” sale organizer Mary Popp said.  “By holding this sale of handpainted ceramics, intricately woven basketry and handmade jewelry, we give people in Bethlehem, PA community a chance to help create employment opportunities for people around the world.”

The Lehigh Microfinance Club has hosted a festival this past year, showcasing an exquisite collection of handcrafted items from Ten Thousand Villages.

Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade retailer of artisan-crafted home decor, personal accessories and gift items from across the globe. Featuring products from more than 130 artisan groups in some 38 countries, we are part of a network of more than 155 retail outlets throughout the United States selling Ten Thousand Villages products. For more than 60 years, Ten Thousand Villages has been establishing long-term buying relationships in places where skilled artisans lack opportunities for stable income. All artisans are fairly paid for their products.  Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit program of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). 

For information regarding the Lehigh University Ten Thousand Villages Festival Sale gift festival, please contact Mary Popp at mkp211@lehigh.edu. For more information about Ten Thousand Villages, please contact Kristen Jenkins, Media Relations, at 717.859.8150 or visit www.tenthousandvillages.com . 

The market, which runs weekly on Thursdays from 12 – 4 PM, originally was planned to end the last Thursday in September. Due to demand from its vendors and a positive response from the community to continue, the market will run an additional two weeks until October 8^th.

As usual, the market has scheduled live entertainment from 12 – 2 PM, weather permitting. Come out and support our extension of the market and enjoy live music, new fall produce, and yummy treats!

Bethlehem Farmers’ Market is a proud partner of the Greater Lehigh Valley Buy Fresh Buy Local. www.buylocalpa.org/lehighvalley

Here’s a list of events occuring during the 2009 Market season!

6/18- Jupiterhead

For the eighth year in a row, the Bethlehem Farmers’ Market will have goods available to Bethlehem residents at Campus Square. The market will run at the intersection of New and Morton Streets on Thursdays, June 18 through September 24, from noon to 4 p.m.This year, the market will have many of its faithful vendors return, such as Suyundalla Farms, Bechdolt Orchard, and The Popcorn Pit, Tasty Pastry, and the Flour Shop Bakery. New vendors include the Back Door Bakery and Humdinger Alpacas. The market is still accepting vendor applications for cheeses, soaps, and prepared foods, but vendors must meet the Buy Fresh Buy Local standards available at campussquare.net.

Additionally, the Farmers’ Market manager Christina Bianco has planned some special events and entertainment for patrons during the market hours. Bianco, a business and environmental studies grad student at Lehigh, will be at the market each day to help vendors set up and to assist customers.The market provides a shopping opportunity that differs from what customers typically find at a grocery store. At the Bethlehem Farmers’ Market, customers can sample the goods, develop relationships with the vendors, learn about unique food varieties and cooking tips, and greet their neighbors.

The market supports local farming and businesses in the Lehigh Valley and is part of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s Buy Fresh Buy Local program. Market information and vendor applications are available at www.campussquare.net.

Over twenty up-and-coming local artists will be featured at the “5 Alarm Arts Fair” located in and around Campus Square on April 25^th from 11am to 4pm. The fair will coincide with the “Spring on 4th, What’s on 3rd Chili Festival”.

The artists and their artistic mediums will include photography, jewelry, ceramics, and acrylic/oil painting. Included in the festivities are children’s activities such as face painting, coloring contests and hula hooping.

Whether you enjoy a flair for the spicy or like to keep it cool, there is sure to be excitement to suit everyone’s tastes! While at Campus Square, stop by the CAB table to find out more about an exciting monthly children’s workshop.

If you:

1. Create and/or produce local goods

2. Like to meet new people

3. Can attend the 2009 Market on Thursdays, time TBD, June - September

… we’d love to have you!

Access an application HERE

This was the first year that the Microfinance Club hosted the festival, and all of the monies raised were sent directly back to Ten Thousand Villages. By hosting the sale, the club had the option of retaining a portion of the funds, but chose to send all $3012 back to the non-profit organization. 

Sale organizer Puja Parekh explained the decision, “We didn’t ever think about doing the sale to make a profit for our club. We just wanted to do it because it’s a chance to help create employment opportunities for people around the world.”  

Additionally, the Barnes & Noble Café encouraged people to shop the sale by offering half priced beverages to those who could show a receipt from buying something at the sale.  

Popular items that got purchased quickly included jewelry, holiday ornaments, and incense. Less popular items were wicker baskets and musical instruments. Overall, two of the three tables covered in merchandise sold by Saturday, when the club packed up the few remaining items to ship back to Ten Thousand Villages. 

Festival sales like the one sponsored by the Microfinance Club owe their success to dedicated local volunteers. Microfinance recruited volunteers from other Lehigh organizations to man the register, restock the items, and open and close the sale each day. There was always one executive member from the Microfinance Club represented at the sale as well.

The Microfinance Club is planning to host another sale next year between Thanksgiving and winter break. For more information about Ten Thousand Villages, please visit www.tenthousandvillages.com/home.php. 

This is the first year that the Microfinance Club has hosted the festival. Sale organizer Puja Parekh says, “For more than 60 years Ten Thousand Villages has worked with talented artisans around the world providing vital, fair income in exchange for their beautiful handcrafted items. By holding this sale of handpainted ceramics, intricately woven basketry and handmade jewelry, we give the Lehigh community a chance to help create employment opportunities for people around the world.”

The Bookstore currently has one mini-display set up so those interested can stop in to see some of the merchandise that will be featured. Additionally, the Barnes & Noble Café is stepping up to encourage people to shop the sale. Steve Schatten, general manager of the Bookstore, says that “customers can get one half-price beverage with any Ten Thousand Villages purchase” during the sale days. The buyer must present the receipt from Ten Thousand Villages to Café baristas to get the half-price drink.

Sales like the one sponsored by the Microfinance Club owe their success to dedicated local volunteers. Microfinance is currently accepting Lehigh students as volunteers to help unpack the crafts, serve as sales clerks, and clean up following the event.

During the event, items can be purchased with cash or GoldPlus only. There is an ATM on site.

Ten Thousand Villages is a fair trade retailer of artisan-crafted home decor, personal accessories and gift items from across the globe. Featuring products from more than 130 artisan groups in some 36 countries, we are part of a network of more than 150 retail outlets throughout the United States selling Ten Thousand Villages products. For more than 60 years, Ten Thousand Villages has been establishing long-term buying relationships in places where skilled artisans lack opportunities for stable income. All artisans are fairly paid for their products.

For information regarding the festival sale, please contact Brynn Buskirk at brb207@lehigh.edu or 610-758-4652. For more information about Ten Thousand Villages, please visit www.tenthousandvillages.com/home.php.