Mission
The mission of Ten Thousand Villages is to create opportunities for artisans in developing countries to earn income by bringing their products and stories to our markets through long-term, fair trade relationships.
What is fair trade?
"Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers – especially in the South.”
-The World Fair Trade Organization
Our mission would mean nothing without the volunteers who help us live it out every day!
We work with hundreds of Volunteers each year from grade school students to some of Austin's finest retirees! We've proudly partnered with Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired since 2011.
KUT was there when Ten Thousand Villages set a world record in 2014. Listen here
Take a Journey through our store!
Ask any of our staff or volunteers and we’ll take you on a tour around the world to experience our artisan partners and the crafts they create.
Bring your furry friend!
If there is anything we love more than fair trade, it’s our four legged friends. Our store is proud to be pet friendly and we are home to many dog friendly events hosted throughout the year! In June we partnered with Austin Pets Alive for our Adopt and Shop event where we were able to find Einstein (below), a new home with one of our customers!
Stay connected!
Be one of the first to know about our events, sales, and new products by following us on social media!
Facebook: Ten Thousand Villages of Austin
Twitter: @AustinVillages
Instagram: @ttv_austin
Welcome to Ten Thousand Villages of Austin!
As one of the world’s oldest and largest fair trade organizations, Ten Thousand Villages has spent more than 60 years cultivating trading relationships in which artisans receive a fair price for their work and consumers have access to distinctive handcrafted items. We seek to establish long-term buying relationships in places where skilled artisans are under- or unemployed, and in which they lack other opportunities for income. A founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), Ten Thousand Villages sees fair trade as an alternative approach to conventional international trade.
Volunteers allow us to grow our fair trade relationships and ensure sustainable outcomes for more artisans.
Interested in finding out more? Please email our Volunteer Coordinator at
volunteers.austin@tenthousandvillages.com.
We also do internships!
To apply, please send your resume and a brief cover letter to our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteers.austin@tenthousandvillages.com.
FAQ
- How do I sign up?
- We use SignUp.com. To receive an invitation to our internal link, email our volunteer coordinator/assistant
manager at volunteers.austin@tenthousandvillages.com.
- How can I change my volunteer hours if needed?
- Signup.com allows you to cancel and reschedule if needed, and alerts the volunteer coordinator with that
message. It is helpful to make those changes at least 24 hours in advance, and message the volunteer
coordinator.
- Where do I park?
- There is ample parking behind the store. We leave the front parking lot for customers.
- Will I learn more about fair trade in order to talk about it at the store?
- Yes, we have an online artisan story section we continually learn from it, we use this to print out stories as
well for customers who purchase, we have artisan story cards that are pre-printed for our learning along w/
customers. Knowing the stories helps us with customer service, selling the products, and better supporting our
artisans. To learn more about fair trade and its importance, visit https://www.fairtradefederation.org/what-is-fair-trade/#1531929001599-5cf1844f-1b5b.
- Will we have time to learn the stories behind store products?
- Yes, our pre-printed artisan story cards and our online story section are always available for volunteers to
grow their knowledge about the story behind the products. Our artisans are continually sending us new products
and we are all learning together as the Ten Thousand Villages Austin family.
- Will I be trained on Ten Thousand Villages’ customer service?
- Yes, our volunteer coordinator trains all new volunteers, and then pairs them with an experienced, lead
volunteer for their first few shifts working in the store. Customer service is #1 because it allows us to
develop relationships with our customers, make sales, and support artisans so we can further the fair trade
movement.
- Will I be trained on register practices and given a learning period?
- Yes, the volunteer coordinator will include register training in the first few shifts. New volunteers will be
paired with experienced, lead volunteers in the first few shifts so that they can become proficient and
comfortable. At Ten Thousand Villages Austin, we always have at least two people working every shift.
Know that you’re in the right place when you see the nearby BURO (BUrnet ROad) mural. Find plenty of parking behind the store!
