Jubilee Marketplace has a new coordinator

 

For 36 years, the Jubilee Fair Trade Marketplace, a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spokane, has been an opportunity to raise awareness on economic justice, while providing fair wages for artisans so they can feed, house, educate and provide health care for their families.

In 2025, the Jubilee International Fair Trade Marketplace will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24 and from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25, at First Presbyterian Church, 318 S. Cedar.

Since it began, Jubilee sales have distributed more than $1 million to artisans around the world and local immigrant/refugee artists.

Suzie Smith first learned about it last year when Mary Frankhauser, one of the founders, spoke at a book club Suzie attended. Mary gave her a flier and invited her to come. Then, a student in the English as a Second Language (ESL) class she teaches at Spokane Community College handed her a copy of the same flier and said she sold scarves there.

Not only did Suzie check it out, but she also volunteered last year, helping with cashiering at the mission table.

"I have a heart for people in different countries who come here to make a better life for themselves," she said. "I was impressed to learn about a church that walked their talk, building community locally and supporting efforts around the world."

When Mary learned that Suzie did event coordination, she let her know she was looking to step back. So for the 2025 Jubilee Fair Trade Marketplace, Suzie is the coordinator.

"I was happy to take that role of keeping track of multiple moving parts," she said.

"I believe in its mission and I'm impressed with the church's involvements and services," said Suzie, admitting she was hooked on attending First Presbyterian after listening to a sermon online.

Growing up in California in a strict Christian background and later trying to be spiritual but not religious, she said she did not realize that she missed being involved in a community of like-minded folks who walk the talk.

She is impressed with how church members feel it's important to be involved in service and good causes.

Suzie had visited the Northwest on a family trip when she was five, so when she married in 1994 and her then husband asked where she wanted to live, she said in the Northwest. They moved to Vancouver, WA, where she worked in health care billing and adjunct teaching.

During COVID, her hours were cut from 40 to 20, so she applied for work in Spokane, where her sister lived and the cost of living was lower.

Suzie first worked at the front desk for a primary care provider, then in the billing office and then remotely with Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Meanwhile, she was earning a master's degree in education in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Eastern Washington University. On completing the degree in 2023, she was hired at SCC.

"I have a heart for folks who want to learn English to improve their lives. I meet amazing people. Last summer, I had students from 19 countries in my class. Each has a story of life before coming to the U.S.—escaping poverty, war or years in refugee camps," Suzie said.

She shared examples of their stories.

• A medic had served the U.S. army in Afghanistan and would have been killed had he not fled with his family.

• Several women are involved in a local project, Mahima at Thrive, that enables women here who can't work outside the home to make jewelry that will be sold at Jubilee.

• Two students from her summer class—whose house was bombed in Ukraine—are now here and selling art and hand-knit scarves.

"I did my Christmas shopping at Jubilee last year," Suzie said. "It was affordable, and the dollars went to provide fair wages and compensation for materials for the local artists and international artisans."

Vendors in 2025 are Anuak Meer Ministry from Ethiopia; Conosur Imports, Chile; Feast World Kitchen, Spokane; Ganesh Himal Trading Co., Nepal; Hmong Community in the U.S. and Laos; Jasmine Crafts, Kashmir; Maya Earth Coffee, Guatemala; Milagros, Peru; Nari Boutique, Nepal; Resilient Threads, Guatemala; Sailor Soap, Colombia; Thai Village and Prachakittisuk Orphanage, Thailand; Ukrainian Artists in Spokane, and various groups offering various international handicrafts—Jeanette Rankin Peace Center, Kizuri, the Mahima Project at Thrive International and Trades of Hope.

For information, call 747-1058 or email suz.smith34@gmail.com.