The Students Embracing Responsible Volunteer Experience organization brought in products from the 10,000 Villages group to sell to the Simpson community.

The 10,000 Villages organization is a non-profit organization, run by the Mennonites, who sell products made by artists and craft people from third world countries who are unemployed or underemployed. The program provides these people with a fair income, by shipping their products to places where the products will be bought for a fair price.

The people who make these products can then use the money to buy food and can put it toward housing, education and health care.

“SERVE brought it here last year and it went so well that we decided to do it again,” said senior Paula Cripps, student chaplain of service.

All the money that SERVE makes from selling the products goes right back to the people at 10,000 Villages, who act as the middleman, and will then give the money to the people who need it.

According to Cripps, the group is volunteering because it wants to help out and make people aware that there are those people in the world who don’t have food and housing.

“We ordered twice as much stuff as they did last year and we would like to sell it all,” said Cripps.

On Monday and Tuesday the products offered by 10,000 Villages were being sold in Dirlam Lounge. Wednesday and Thursday, they sold items in the BSC Gallery and on Friday they will be back in Dirlam Lounge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

While in Dirlam Lounge, the coffee shop will only be selling fair trade coffee to show support to the cause.

The group also provided gift-wrapping available for $1 or $2. This money will go to benefit the Heifer Project, which buys an animal to donate food for the needy.