Hope's Annual Alternative Christmas Fair
Meaningful Gifts for a Meaningful Christmas

EVERY year, it becomes harder to find unusual Christmas presents for family and friends, don't you think? So this year, why not look for a gift that is meaningful, not tested on animals and is not going to be stored in the closet or never used?

For the past several years, Hope Lutheran Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan has helped raise much needed funds for local, national and international non-profit groups and social service agencies by hosting an Alternative Christmas Fair at the start of the holiday season.  Hope brings together up to 45 nonprofit organizations under one roof for one day.  Each organization offers unique gifts for sale or opportunities to donate specific items and they are able to keep 100 % of the proceeds.  Hope charges a $1 admission and sells lunch items and homemade cookies to raise just enough money to pay administrative costs such as advertisement and table rental costs.  The Hope Alternative Christmas Fair can boast of raising over $150,000 for dozens and dozens of nonprofit organizations to date.

If you are unfamiliar with the Alternative Christmas Fair concept, it is a fun way to bypass the annual stress of holiday shopping and stop the accumulation of “stuff” while honoring friends, relatives, teachers, or others, with donations to causes that fit their values. What's more, Alternative Christmas Fairs provide critical support for a diverse collection of non-profit organizations with established track records of helping people and the environment the world over. 

It is an extraordinaryly, satisfying way to give back to those in need. There are many deserving charities and organizations that offer alternative Christmas gifts, like Kids 4 Afghan Kids founded by a group of 6th graders in Northville, Michigan or Food for the Poor, Inc., which offers a selection of animals that you may choose in honor of an individual but will be given to villagers in the Caribbean and Latin America. Detroit Rescue Mission Ministry/Motown United Ministries sells dry soup mixes and dessert mixes to fund their mission of providing food, shelter and services to the homeless and addicted.  This is only a sampling of the many charities involved each year.

There is a unique one-of-a-kind atmosphere about each booth at the Alternative Christmas Fair.  You will find African crafts and fabrics, Alpaca wool scarves, holiday cards drawn by the children receiving the services of the organization, wood carvings from Palestine and jewelry from Guatemala.  Shoppers can also find music, handmade gifts and baked goods for sale at the fair.

We hope you will stop by on Saturday, November 14, 2009 from 10:00am to 3:00pm.  Make it a point to enjoy the holidays more by simplifying some of the work, while maintaining what makes the holidays special; giving to others.