Oyanca Artesanias

• is based in Managua, Nicaragua, works with artisans in both rural and urban areas of Nicaragua, with 50 percent of the artisans being women
• conducts training programs for artisans, focused on marketing assistance, technical skills, infrastructure and production efficiency
• produce ceramics, turned wood items, cotton hammocks, pine needle baskets, recycled paper items and soapstone carved figures

*Every month on the blog we try to feature one of our artisan partners. However, you can also check out more detailed artisan partner stories by clicking on the Artisan Spotlight to the right under "Our Favorite Links".

Thank You to April Volunteers!

Tingki or thank you as they may say in Nicaragua to our April volunteers!!!
Collectively you volunteered a total of 184.3 hours!

• Amanda Snead
• Andrew Kirk
• Anh Pham
• Ben Eichler
• Boyd Chambliss
• Callie Angle
• Camille Davidson
• Dana Baldwin
• Dixie Woodard
• Dylan Kolhoff
• Efrain Serrano
• Eve Capehart
• Gary Flake
• Hazel Bowman
• Jay Rohrer
• Jean Donaldson
• Jennifer Jones
• Katie Keane
• Katrina Spinner-Wilson
• Kelsea Pieters
• Marcello Balboa
• Margaret Hendrick
• Marissa Marklevvitz
• Mary Deignan
• Morgan Tierney
• Natasha Lewis
• Oliva Stout
• Omar Belkacemi
• Robert Brown
• Rupa Singh
• Sandra Menendez
• Sarah Palazzolo
• Staci Belle
• Stella Sargent
• Susan Hoelschen
• Wayne Beachy
• Wayne Melnick

New Volunteers!

Please welcome our newest volunteers:

• Callie Angle
• Dana Baldwin
• Katelyn Hebel
• Robert Johnson
• Andrew Kirk
• Sandra Menendez
• Anh Pham
• Dixie Woodard

A New Year, A New Budget

The store has been doing well despite the economic downturn (knock on wood; for those of you who are superstitious). However, we have had to make a few changes. We will no longer be able to provide the free snacks and sodas in the Volunteer Breakroom. However, we still have our Diamond Springs water supply and you are still free to partake of our coffee and tea samples.

Community Shopping Nights

We have decided to host a Community Shopping Night (CSN) every month this year at the store. Community Shopping Nights are one of the ways that our store empowers our community. Each Community Shopping Night supports a different non-profit that we believe in. During a CSN, the store remains open from 6-8pm and 20% of sales between these hours benefit the non-profit highlighted that evening.

In March, the CSN supported WOVEN, a non-profit geared to the empowerment of women of all nations. This partnership supported our national One Reason Why campaign's theme for March which was "Women Thriving Though Independence." The theme for April was " Good for the People, Good for the Earth" therefore the proceeds from April's CSN went to Maymont Park.

With May's theme being, "Growing businesses, empowering entrepreneurs," we hope to partner with Positive Vibe Cafe. Positive Vibe Cafe is a non-profit organization training and employing people with disabilities in food services. Check back for information on upcoming CSNs.

Kumbeshwar Technical School, Nepal

• was established to assist socially and economically disadvantaged children in the Kathmandu Valley
  
• seeks to provide trainees with marketable skills that can ultimately lead to successful self-employment
  
• works to generate local employment for artisans and create sustainable community development

Thank You to March Volunteers!

Su-bhaay or thank you as they may say in Nepal to our March volunteers!!!
Collectively you gave a total of 215 hours!

• Agneta Liubinaite
• Amanda Snead
• Anh Pham
• Ben Eichler
• Boyd Chambliss
• Callie Angle
• Camille Davidson
• Dana Baldwin
• Dixie Woodard
• Efrain Serrano
• Eve Capehart
• Freddy Boon
• Gary Flake
• Hazel Bowman
• Ian Baxter
• Jay Rohrer
• Jean Donaldson
• Jennifer Jones
• John-Walker Knight
• Katelyn Hebel
• Katie Keane
• Latoya Williamson
• Mallory Noe-Payne
• Margaret Hendrick
• Mary Deignan
• Mindy Loiselle
• Nadine Kadlubowski
• Omar Belkacemi
• Paul Bucher
• Prissie Nguyen
• Quang Pham
• Regine Beulig-Kidd
• Robert Brown
• Robert Johnson
• Rupa Singh
• Sandra Menendez
• Staci Belle
• Stella Sargent
• Susan Hoelschen
• Wayne Beachy
• Wayne Melnick