Ten Thousand Villages is celebrating a milestone and we want thank you for making this possible.

These past 10 (actually 12) have been exciting, challenging, engaging, and rewarding!

Did you know:

It all began with 5 dedicated hardworking individuals who believed in the Mission of Ten Thousand Villages, creating sustainable income for artisans in developing countries.”

Our loyal founders are: Tony and Lynn Fadale, Tom and Rhonda Hoffarth, and Sandy Hammersmark.

It took 2 years of fundraising by these 5 dedicated individuals to accumulate enough funds to begin preparing to open a store at our current location, 1907 S Catalina Ave. Redondo Beach.

Helpful volunteers rolled up their sleeves and began to transform a former men’s store by installing slate walls, removing the ceiling and carpeting, creating storage under the outdoor balcony and numerous other projects. When completed the store is what we know and love today.

Our doors opened the weekend the Riviera Festival June 2014. It was a time filled with excitement because a dream had been realized.

Our first store Manager was Tom Hoffarth, he has been followed by 3 amazing store managers over the past 10 years Kristen Bailey, Brittany Costa Knight, and Michelle Ryan.

The store has been guided over the past 10 years by a Board of Directors. Our first Board Chair was Rhonda Hoffarth. Individuals who followed in her footsteps to become the Board Chair include Tony Fadale, Karen Brandhorst and Paul Jacoby. Each leader has brought insight and suggestions for growth.

Over the years we grew to include a satellite store at Crafted located at the Port of Los Angeles. Sharing our mission with other parts of the South Bay.

We have held several Rug Events, bringing fair Trade heirloom quality rugs beautifully hand knotted by artisans in Pakistan. Exposing and educating our customers to the Craftmanship of dedicated rug makers who are paid a fair wage for their work.

Our team of amazing volunteers have enthusiastically brought ethically sourced, handcrafted goods and unique gifts to the community by supporting off site events at local churches, schools, and community events.

We have opened our doors after hours for local organizations to enjoy an evening of chatting on the outdoor patio and leisurely shopping. Ten Thousand Villages in turned has donated a percent of their purchases back to the local organization.

During Covid, we had to become very creative in continuing to connect with the community. We asked our loyal customers to purchase food items from our lovely selection of fair-trade food products, which included delicious chocolates, teas, coffees, and mixes. In turn we donated these items to numerous first responder, and frontline workers throughout the local community.

Ten years has swiftly past and during that time we have had challenges, especially during Covid. However, these challenges have been overshadowed by our successes. Connecting with the community, telling our story and importance of Fair Trade, sharing a warm hello as our customers enter the store and enjoying chats about various unique handcrafted products in our store has certainly overshadowed the challenges.

None of our successes would have been possible if not for the amazing dedicated leaders, our fantastic team of volunteers (we are always looking for more) and our loyal customers.

We are thrilled to share this 10th year of bringing Fair Trade to the South Bay, and we humbly thank you for making this possible.

See you soon as we continue to Bring Fair Trade to the South Bay.