[RP TownTalk] Holiday Market

[Rob Oppenheim]

Great Holiday Market!
Many thanks to those who worked so hard on it. 

While this wonderful event is still fresh in our minds, 
does anyone have a positive suggestion or two for 
making the market even better/easier next year?

Here is one possibility ...

Perhaps we could add an "Alternative Gifts" booth, which provides
alternatives to buying more "stuff" for people on our holiday lists 
who already have everything they need. It works like this, you make 
a donation to a charity in support of a good or service in honor of 
family members and friends and you get a gift card insert describing 
the gift. 

Here are a few examples:

$10 donation - Bike safety helmet for a needy child, 
$10 - PJs for one child in a homeless shelter,
$22 - Nutritional supplements for 75 children for one month in Darfur,
$35 - Breakfast for 24 homeless mothers and children.

Alternative Gifts of Greater Washington, Inc (AGGW), an all-volunteer 
organization, helps organize such fairs, provides a list of qualifying 
charities, and processes the donations. (100 percent of donations 
go to the charities). http://www.aggw.org/

You can read about Hyattsvilles recent Alternative Gift fair here: 
http://hyattsville.wetpaint.com/page/Alternative+Gift+Fair

This is not meant to take anything away from the wonderful event
we had this year! Thank you all again!

Rob
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