Global Exchange members & supporters, staff & interns, friends & family all mixed and mingled the night away. Below  are some highlights of the evening, plus a photo recap. The complete set of photos is now up on our Facebook page.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GX OPEN HOUSE:

Photo Booth Fun: We had a PAC (People Above Corporations) Super Pics Photo Booth, complete with props. The photos are on Facebook.

Prize Drawing winners announced: including our grand prize winner who received $1,000 towards a Reality Tour! Other prizes included a Wine Country package, Indoor Skydiving for 2 and a $200 gift basket from the Global Exchange Fair Trade store.

Thanks to all of the businesses that donated prizes for our drawing this year!

Beer and Wine: Thanks to Magnolia Pub & Brewery and Frey Organic Winery, guests enjoyed tasty spirits throughout the evening.

A Generous Surprise: Our Open House is a great time to engage with the community, AND to raise funds to support our work throughout the year. This year we were surprised with a generous matching gift donation, so for every dollar earned during the course of the evening, we were able to double it!
Food, oh, the food! Special thanks goes out to the local businesses that generously donated a wide array of delectable delights.

Plus, this was the first year Global Exchange staff and interns were invited to cook up their favorite dish to share with guests and boy did they deliver! Empanadas, muffins, bean salad, the list goes on and on. I made crab puffs:)

Staff Presentations: Global Exchange campaigners shared updates about their social justice work with guests, and GX Executive Director Carleen Pickard got the crowd excited about becoming Global Exchange members.

And this offer is still good> Join Global Exchange for $35/year and we’ll send you a gorgeous customized Global Exchange tote bag from Handmade Expressions women’s cooperative in India, a No-Nonsense Guide book and a bag of Equal Exchange chocolates!

Guests Voted! Open House guests were able to directly practice democracy at the event’s “Elect Democracy Voting Booth” where they voted on future projects for our Elect Democracy campaign. Results forthcoming!

New GEMS! We welcomed some new GEMS (Global Exchange Monthly Sustainers) to our growing network of supporters. It’s not too late to become a GEMS now!

Guests shared “What Democracy Looks Like”: We had a wall where folks could share their thoughts about democracy for all to see. We’ll be sharing some quotes from that, also forthcoming.

********

Tex (left) with Fair Trade Stores Director Jocelyn (right)

So there’s your handful of Open House highlights. I’ve attended many Global Exchange Open Houses, and this year was the best one yet. (I swear I don’t say that every year!)

Special thanks to all of our guests and volunteers for making the event such a success, along with all the businesses who donated food, drinks, and prizes. Hope to see some of you next year!

Now for the best part…PICTURES!!! You can view them all on our Facebook page here.

PHOTO RECAP OF GX OPEN HOUSE:

Zarah, Kylie and Ashley, your friendly Open House Greeters!

Arriving guests signing in at the front

Then the hugging began!

and continued throughout the evening!

People started meeting people…

and chatting away…

more chatting!

Then there was the food. Oh, the food!

there were all sorts of yummy things to dip and dunk and munch and nibble!

and refreshing, cold beer and local organic wine

Guests got to vote!

Some guests shared what they thought democracy looks like on our wall.

The Photo Booth was a lot of fun!

for lots of people!

Check out GX former staffer Sally dancing with GEMS (Global Exchange Monthly Sustainer) Tom last year, then re-enacting their dance again this year. What a hoot!

Global Exchange staff had the opportunity to showcase some of the work they are doing. Pictured: Dalit and Drea

Carleen got her soapbox (er, chair) moment to share with the crowd our $35 membership gift offer. (which includes that beautiful bag pictured on Carleen’s shoulder)

Hillary spoke about our Elect Democracy campaign and tools such as the Legislative SCORECARD pictured in her hand

Cosmo the dog made an appearance, along with his parents. (Click on this photo to check out his photobooth pic on Facebook, it’s pretty groovy!)

Zarah poses with Design Action friends who showed up in awesome form

GX Fair Trade Store staff know how to pose, and it shows!

Chandrika, Leslie and Jessica perfectly posing!

and finally, GX Executive Director Carleen Pickard shares a pic with former board member towards the end of the night.

TAKE ACTION!
Now that you’ve seen some of the great work we do (and how much fun we have doing it) I would like to formally invite you to join the Global Exchange family. Consider becoming a GEMS today. You won’t regret it.

This year Global Exchange members, supporters, staff, alumni and friends celebrated 23 years of social change and activism together. Thanks to everyone who made it out!

We had an amazing celebration, with music by Los Soneros de Acero, refreshments from our Mission District Sponsors (Cha, Cha, Cha, Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, Sunflower Restaurant, Sunrise Restaurant, and the Sandwich Place), and Work of Art catering and Cline Cellars.

I heard quite a few people saying things like “this is the best Open House yet!” and let me tell you, I’ve been working here a long time:) The food rocked, the music was AMAZING, and the vibe was truly exciting and inspiring.

Here are a few photo highlights of the evening. Visit our Facebook page for lots more photos!

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

For folks in and outside the Bay Area, there are many ways to join the Global Exchange community all year long and stay engaged:

• Connect to our campaign work:  Community Rights, Clean Energy, Economic Activism in Palestine, Human Rights in Mexico, Reverse-Trick-or-Treating and Green Economy Leadership Training. 
• Sign up to become a Global Exchange member today.  As a member, you will ensure the success of our campaigns, receive special discounts on Reality Tours, and 10% at all of our Fair Trade Store locations.

We hope to see some of you at our Open House next year, but in the meantime, we hope that you stay engaged in our (and we mean OUR) work, furthering the cause of peace and justice!

My guess is you have a much better chance of winning something in the Global Exchange Prize Drawing happening later this week than I did when I called that radio station way back when.

What’s this about a Prize Drawing? The prize drawing is taking place during our annual Open House happening this Thursday, Oct. 6th at the Global Exchange main office in San Francisco, but the deadline to purchase prize drawing tickets online is Oct. 5th. You don’t have to attend the event to enter (and win!) the prize drawing.

The prizes we’re giving away are super cool, so I’m encouraging you and all your friends to grab your prize drawing tickets NOW for a chance to become a winner.

Here’s a rundown of some of the prizes being offered:

Harbin Hot Springs. Picture yourself there!

• Grand Prize: $1000 toward a Reality Tour of your choice – our destinations include upcoming trips to Cuba and Egypt. $1,000 bucks?! That’s right. One thousand dollars.
• Weekend Stay for two at Big Sur Getaways. Your opportunity to take that long overdue vacation with a special friend.
• Dinner with GX co-founder Kevin Danaher at Gracias Madre. Dine on fancy Mexican organic food with a true champion of the green economy. 
• Camping weekend for two at Harbin Hot Springs. Wow, this place is amazing. I’m more relaxed just thinking about it.
• Two all access VIP passes to the Arab Film Festival (tickets to 46 films + the VIP opening night gala). Cutting edge films and the opportunity to network with like-minded community members.
• Signed print by Oakland based artist Favianna Rodriguez. This is the #1 Top prize pick for many Global Exchange staffers…too bad we’re not qualified to win!
• Child’s Sakuut Kids Balance Bicycle from Noe Valley Cyclery. A bike? Yes, a bike from a prominent local bike shop! Get a jump on your holiday shopping and surprise one lucky child.
• Two-tickets for cocktails and fun at the Celebrity Pool Toss of  Tenderloin Neighborhood Development
  Corporation (poolside at the Phoenix Hotel). This event is not something you want to miss. A who’s who of celebrity  do-gooders have shown up in the past, including Robin Wililams. And the Phoenix hotel is one THE coolest, hippest hotels in San Francisco. 
• $100 Gift certificate to Embodies Organic Boutique. Seriously fashion-forward clothing, jewelry, accessories, even shoes! Most wardrobes pale in comparison to their offerings. (I know mine does!)
• $50.00 Gift certificate to Urban Bazaar. Fair Trade + Locally handmade gifts = slam dunk!
• Timbuk2 Messenger Bag. If you’ve never owned a Timbuk2 messenger bag you don’t know what you’re missing. Well constructed, made locally in San Francisco, these bags are built to last without sacrificing style and fashion.
• Organic Make-Up from Dirty Beauty. Lip balm and body crème and soaps, oh my!
• Wine tasting at Cline Cellars in Sonoma, CA. They had me at wine.
• Two-year subscription to Mother Jones Magazine. Not 1 but 2 year subscription…this magazine rocks!

More prizes are still being added. Your chances of winning are very good, so grab your prize drawing tickets online today. They’re $10 each or six for $50.

Proceeds benefit Global Exchange. Your support makes it possible for individuals and communities around the world to resist injustice, envision alternatives, and take action. Speaking of take action…

TAKE ACTION!

Attend the Global Exchange Open House: Stop by the Global Exchange offices in San Francisco for our annual Open House. We are celebrating 23 years of social change and activism on October 6, 6-9:30pm, at 2017 Mission St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA.

It will be a wonderful evening with great food, specialty cocktails and sangria, Típica Cubana music by Los Soneros de Acero, and a chance to meet and mingle with Global Exchange staff.  And of course, we’ll be hosting our annual Prize Drawing.

The Global Exchange Open House is open to you, our members, supporters, and friends.

Get Your Prize Drawing Tickets Here: Remember, you don’t need to attend the GX Open House in order to enter the prize drawing. Simply go online here and grab your prize drawing tickets to enter and (hopefully) win!

Good Luck!

Yours truly,

Brown eyed girl