A New Austin Tradition
Ten Thousand Villages of Austin opened its first store on South Congress Avenue in February 2004. The volunteer store startup group chose to partner with Ten Thousand Villages USA due to their unique history of working with disadvantaged artisans through fair trade practices.
This partnership enables our local nonprofit to provide a fair trade marketplace in Central Texas, to tell the artisan stories, and join a network of more than 160 Ten Thousand Villages retail stores across North America.
Trading Fairly Since 1946
In 1946 Edna Ruth Byler, from Akron, Pennsylvania, visited Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) volunteers teaching sewing in Puerto Rico to those living in poverty. The volunteers were searching for ways to better their program and improve the students’ lives.
Byler brought some of the class’ pieces back to the U.S. to sell to friends and family. The demand surprised her and she soon found herself selling cross-stitch needlework from Palestinian refugees and Haitian woodenware – all sold from the truck of her car. In the 1970s, the small project moved out of Byler's basement and became an official program of the MCC.
Byler’s program came to be known as SELFHELP Crafts of the World and kept this name for 20 years. In 1996 the name was changed to Ten Thousand Villages.
Since its founding in February 2004, Ten Thousand Villages of Austin is proud to be part of this network of more than 160 Ten Thousand Villages retail stores across North America.
