First started in 2009, the Social Action Holiday Fair at The First Church in Belmont, Unitarian Universalist celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.
The fair, which started with the idea of “providing holiday shoppers with an opportunity to have a greater impact with their shopping dollars,” takes place Sunday, Dec. 8, from noon to 4 p.m. at the First Church.
Over the last few years, the fair has raised roughly $12,000 for various local, national and international charities.
“There’s humanitarian support for refugees in Syria and Palestine, as well as other areas affected by the migrant crisis and human rights work being done domestically and abroad,” said Sara Oaklander, who has been involved with the church for around 30 years and has been involved with the fair for the last decade. “We’re so proud of the reach that is represented by the work of those who are participating in the fair that day.”
Kathryn Crawley has been involved with the church for 30 years and has organized the fair since its onset. She describes the holiday fair as “a contagious atmosphere of merriment and joy.”
“People are in community with each other, shopping, getting to meet the vendors, getting to hear about different projects, and just getting to feel like they’re, they’re doing something fun together, but they’re also contributing to the greater good,” Crawley said.
People can expect to find textiles for home and personal use and hand-sewn and woven garments for adults and children. Additionally, there are many decorative and useful items for home and personal use, from pottery to wood carvings to small pieces of artwork, ornaments, soaps, greeting cards, and Afghani delicacies.
Crawley recalls that when the fair first started, vendors were people within the church community who sold things they made. Now, it has evolved into a fair where the vendors are artisans from within and beyond the community.
“There is no fee of participation (for the vendors). There are some participants for whom the money they raise is completely going to the programming that they represent,” Oaklander said. “If an individual artisan wants to sell their jewelry or their soaps that they make, or maybe their pottery, we invite them to choose a beneficiary and then to donate half of their profits from sales at the fair.”
While organizing the fair requires meticulous planning—from coordinating 31 vendors to promoting the event—Crawley and Oaklander find the effort deeply rewarding. They consider the most gratifying part to be creating a space where holiday shopping becomes a force of good.
“(People) can expect to walk into an amazing, busy space filled with different tables that are overflowing with these gift items that the various groups are making available for sale,” Oaklander said. “And that festive atmosphere with people milling about and chatting. Many people know each other because we do get a lot of participation from folks in the local community, but then others come in as well. So there’s a lot of chatter, people meeting, seeing old friends, making new friends.”
