History
It all began with one woman selling textiles from the trunk of her car. Her name was Edna Ruth Byler. In 1946, when Byler traveled with her husband to Puerto Rico, she met women who were struggling to feed their children. Byler was moved to do something. She saw the pieces of fine embroidery the women of La Plata created, but had no place to sell. With no clear plan but a sense of purpose, Byler brought the pieces home and began to sell to friends and neighbors all the while, sharing the stories of the makers, describing how each purchase meant that a woman gained economic independence and a chance to give her family a brighter future. It was a simple idea. But a pioneering one that would launch Ten Thousand Villages and blossom into a global fair trade movement. Our Store in Redondo Beach is now a part of this movement, with the help of our amazing volunteers, and over two years of tireless effort, we were able to open this location in 2014.
Specialties
Our Mission is to create opportunities for artisans in developing countries to earn income by bringing their products & stories to our markets through long term fair trading relationships.