On the corner of Market and Main in Downtown Bloomington lies Crossroads Fair Trade Goods and Gifts. The store sells beautiful articles from around the world, such as jewelry, baskets, coffee and self-care products. Two women, Margaret Kutemeier and Kathy Stoyak, who work on the education side of the company, shared the history, goals and inner workings of this local social enterprise.
The nonprofit was started by three dedicated women named Charline Watts, Carol Schrantz and Marilyn Townley. After visiting with other individuals knowledgeable on fair trade practices, they organized and opened their store on Oct. 25, 1988, in downtown Bloomington. These inspirational women ended up creating a company that has been in downtown Bloomington for 36 years.
Their store works with fair trade businesses internationally, helping promote positive outcomes to ease poverty for individuals and families.
Crossroads is one store in the Fair/Trade Federation, which is built on the principles of creating opportunities, developing relationships, building capacity, promoting awareness of fair trade, fair and timely pay, safe working conditions, no child labor, cultivating environmental stewardship and respecting cultural identity.
Because of these principles, anyone shopping at the store can guarantee that each product adheres to these rules. Fair/Trade ensures that everything under its label is free employee exploitation. Several small or local businesses sell through Crossroads Fair Trade Goods and Gifts, each with its own personal mission.
Crossroads sells coffee from the Gobena business in Gridley, Ill. Gobena purchases Fair/Trade beans from farmers and communities located in Guatemala, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, and other ethical bean-growing communities. The roasting facility in Gridley then provides the coffee to Crossroads and other central Illinois businesses.
Kutemeier and Stoyak explained that Crossroads partners with other nonprofit groups for various activities, one being the Second Saturday promotions in downtown Bloomington from May through Oct. If you walk past their location, you might find people outside the doors sharing materials on recycling, growing native flowers and more. Local groups have included Ecology Action, the Bloomington Library and Master Gardeners or Naturalists. The community is also essential for these groups as well as Crossroads.
Crossroads only has two paid employees. They rely on a team of volunteers and interns to take care of a wide variety of jobs, from stocking shelves, dusting, vacuuming, providing informational workshops as well as other essential tasks. They are always in need of volunteers and are happy to work with college students. In fact, in the past, Crossroads Fair Trade Goods and Gifts would directly work with Illinois Wesleyan students and faculty and would love to do so again. Currently, they have a student from Illinois State University who interns with them.
If any IWU students are in search of volunteer hours, this would be a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community. Students and faculty members are also encouraged to reach out to collaborate on a project. The store is full of incredibly unique products, often made from recycled materials. If you simply want to shop at a store that is dedicated to making a difference, stop by Crossroads Fair Trade Goods and Gifts in downtown Bloomington.
