humankind fair tradeHumanKind, a local nonprofit fair trade shop, invites the community to celebrate its 10th anniversary in downtown San Luis Obispo on July 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Guests can enjoy special giveaways, Madonna Inn birthday cake, crafts for kids and adults, as well as special deals on items in the store during this 10-year anniversary celebration.

“Thanks to the community’s incredible support, we have managed to donate more than $25,000 to other local nonprofits, while also providing a reasonable market for artisans in developing countries,” said Evelyn Ruehr, one of HumanKind’s founding board members. “We want to celebrate these past 10 years and kick off the next 10 years with a warm thank you.”

Made up of mostly volunteers, HumanKind’s mission is to provide vital fair income to artisans in the developing world by selling fair trade products and telling the artisans’ stories here in San Luis Obispo.

HumanKind first opened its doors in July 2009 during the Great Recession. Dedicated volunteers and generous donors kept the store running. Eventually, the store and the community made it out of the recession and both are now thriving. Still, to this day, HumanKind only has three employees and is mostly supported by volunteers.

“It’s been a privilege to support such an amazing community of volunteers, donors and customers, and we are happy to celebrate this milestone with everyone,” said HumanKind Board President Laura Mullen.

HumanKind is located at 982 Monterey St. in downtown San Luis Obispo.