It's a Beautiful Thing.

Kids are always interesting to talk to. They’re honest to a fault, never too shy to point out things that we often choose to tactfully ignore.

I went to Spring Lake Wesleyan Church this past Sunday to talk to a group of kids about the upcoming auction. In our conversation, I asked the kids what Jesus said about how we should treat the poor. A little girl shouted out instantly, “Take from the rich and give to the poor!”

All of the adults in the room either chuckled or balked at the tiny blonde revolutionary in our midst, but perhaps she was tapping into one of those truths that children openly talk about and adults are more hesitant to breach.

It’s the idea of taking our excess and applying it in a more socially responsible way – not quite the extreme that my young audience member suggested, but of a similar vein. We live in a community that undoubtedly has felt the effect of the economic downturn, but we still have a little disposable capital we can choose to apply to extras – eating out, buying new electronics, seeing a movie. What the Heart for the World Auction does is provide a way for our community to purchase some really incredible extras, like a piece of art or a pie a month, and transfer that money directly to an organization that addresses a global issue.

This year they chose us. And we are so, so excited.

It’s been a humbling experience seeing the community donate items to be auctioned. Some donations come from socially-minded organizations while others come from creative individuals. Without knowing our partner farmers personally, members of our community are contributing directly to their success by donating these items.

We’ve been watching the list of auction items grow over the weeks, and each new item means new opportunities for development in La Unión – the opportunity for more microloans, community partnership programs, direct trade coffee sales, etc. The more our organization can grow and thrive, the more opportunities these farmers have for a just price for their hard work. It means individuals who come from generations of coffee farmers can feel like the quality of their coffee is finally being reflected in the purchasing price. It means families will be provided for. It means more community partnership programs that lead to clean water, sanitation, and education.

The whole process of preparing for the auction has been exciting, especially when we think about the farmers in Honduras and how they will benefit. We’re all looking forward to the event itself, this Saturday. It’s the next step in the process, another way members of our community can partner with the community of La Unión. It may not be exactly as that little girl described it on Sunday; we’re not taking from a group to give to another. But we are taking that excess we’re privileged to have and applying it to a program that supports those who don’t understand our idea of excess– in fact, sometimes quite the opposite. It’s a beautiful thing, really. And we’re honored to be part of it.

If you’d like to get involved in this event, contact us at info@unionmicrofinanza.com or visit the auction website: slwc.org/auction. You can buy tickets to the event at the door on the 24th - they're only $10!

Also, check out this video Spring Lake Wesleyan put together as an intro to our organization!

Heart for the World Auction

March 24, 2012

5-8 p.m.

Spring Lake Wesleyan Church

Written by Morgan Fett