'Valuable Outreach'

"It's more than that," Melanie Sherinski said, when asked if the upcoming Plowshares Sale was an arts and crafts show. "It's an international fair-trade market," she explained.

While there will be arts and crafts for sale, Sherinski, coordinator of the sale, described the Plowshare Sale, which will be held for the third time at Abbey Road Christian Church in Cape Girardeau, as a "valuable outreach" and ministry to help people in need. That is one thing that sets the sale apart. Another factor is all items sold as part of Plowshares have been made by artisans in developing countries, with proceeds benefitting those particular individuals.

Named after Plowsharing Crafts in St. Louis and Edwardsville, Illinois, where this project began, Plowshares comes to the Cape Girardeau area once a year, allowing people to shop for unique items while simultaneously providing assistance to others.

Sherinski said the Rev. Rodger Kiepe, pastor of Abbey Road Christian Church, had a friend at Fredericktown Christian Church, where they had been doing the sale for a couple years. Sherinski attended, wondering if this was a cause her church could also embrace. She was inspired by what she witnessed. "We can do this. This is something we can get behind," she told herself. Having caught the vision, she brought it home to her church. Now Abbey Road is a part of this effort that reaches far and wide.

A variety of products will be available at the sale: pottery, Venetian glass, textiles, throws, scarves, hats, lamps, wall hangings, Nativity scenes and other Christmas items, musical instruments and baskets. They even sell items to appeal to the taste buds: coffees and teas, for example. "You never know what you might find from year to year," said Sherinski. Many of the items are from Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina and Africa. Most, she said, are from South America.

Hand-made wooden bowl is among Plowshares items.

Sherinski values the Plowshare Sale "as something we can do to help lift somebody else up." She explained that her church does not keep any of the money that comes in. It all goes to Plowsharing Crafts, which then distributes it to the artisans in the participating developing countries. The artisans "receive a fair market price for their items." And what is considered a small purchase for a buyer is a big blessing for the artists, as the fundraiser provides finances for health care, housing and food. This is "income these people might not otherwise have were it not for this sale," she said, adding, "We're going to be Christmas shopping anyway, so why not help Plowshares at the same time?"

Attendance in the past has been good, and they are hoping for larger number of attendees this year. "We try and get this out in front of people as much as we can." Functioning on a limited budget, they rely on word of mouth and posters around town to inform people.

In addition to Plowshares' commitment to artisans in foreign countries, this year, the event also will have a section for the Women's Bean Project, based in Denver. Bean soup mixes, chili, cookies, brownies, corn bread mixes and other items will be sold. Proceeds from the sales will go toward employing impoverished women in the Denver area, allowing them to acquire job skills, learn how to market themselves, and "give them transitional jobs." So in a single event, individuals will have the opportunity to help both those at home and those abroad.

The third annual Plowshares Sale will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Abbey Road Christian Church at 2411 Abbey Road in Cape Girardeau.