Malibu Unified Methodist Church has the perfect way to avoid mall madness and, instead, buy meaningful gifts for loved ones. It’s an alternative gift market.
Rather than giving Grandma another ho-hum sweater, visitors to Malibu United Methodist Church’s alternative gift market might opt to surprise her with a pair of goats, given in her honor to a poor farming family in a developing country. Or bus tokens for workers at the Malibu Labor Exchange. These and other unique gifts will be available the day of the market.
On Sunday, November 19, those who come will have the opportunity to purchase gifts for friends and family and at the same time, make a real difference for people in need. The Market answers the age-old holiday question – what do you give to the person who has it all? The answer’s easy: you give a cow, a water pump, seeds, or building tools. Your friend or loved one gets a personalized, beautifully hand calligraphied card with a picture of the gift, and the gift itself goes to the people who need it most.
Open from 11:30 to 1:00 on November 19, this alternative gift market is the third annual event hosted by Malibu United Methodist Church. “We are excited to provide this alternative shopping opportunity to the Malibu community. Buying alternative gifts can save you time and provides hope for families right here in California and throughout the world. Your gifts will be used to build a home through Habitat for Humanity, support the Labor Exchange, or help people rebuild after the fires and hurricanes through United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR),” says Marilyn Green, event organizer.
Organizations participating in Malibu United Methodist Church’s alternative gift market include Church World Service, Habitat for Humanity, Imagine No Malaria, Heifer Project International, the Malibu Labor Exchange, and more.
Lovely hand-made gifts created by Third World crafts people will also be on sale, and their purchase will send funds back to cooperatives in developing countries, to support families laboring to lift themselves out of poverty through African Team Ministries and Colores del Pueblo. Malibu High School’s service club, Zanmi, will also be there with handmade dolls and baskets from Haiti.
For more information on Malibu United Methodist Church’s alternative gift market, contact Marilyn Green at 805-501-4813 or the Church at (310) 457-7505.