Events & Activism
Find out what's happening, where and why!
Monthly newsletters will keep you informed about events, activism & new global gifts & home decor.
No Woman, No Cry
A Maternal Healthcare Event
Thursday, May 10, 2012, 6-9:00 pm, 7850 SW Capitol Hwy. Ptld. OR
A Maternal Health Crisis - Approximately, 1000 women die each day from complications during pregnancy
or childbirth. Nearly all maternal deaths and disabilities could be prevented.
6:00 - Live Music * 7:00 Movie - No Woman No Cry * 8:00 Womens Panel Discussion
FREE DRAWINGS: for gifts from the many women owned businesses in Multnomah Village.
ACTTION: Take action with Amnesty International. Cards available to send messages
encouraging world leaders to improve maternal health care.
LOCATION: O’Connor’s Vault, 7850 SW Capitol Hwy. Ptld, OR
MUSIC, MOVIE & PANEL:
Music: Local Artist Melanie Joy Hall - folk to sultry jazz to old-fashioned country music.
Film: No Woman No Cry by Christy Turlington Burns – a gripping documentary revealing that for hundreds of thousands of women a year, pregnancy is a death sentence that could be prevented.
Panelists:
*Sharon Blake, nurse midwife with experience running maternity projects in Tanzania, Bangladesh and the USA.
*Jeanne Faulkner, Oregon’s CARE advocate, ex-L&D nurse, writer, has worked on projects with Turlington Burns.
*Dr. Kathleen Wilder, OB/GYN, OHSU
April First Friday - Sharing scarf wraps for Spring.
April 6, Friday, 6 - 9:00 pm
Sample below of our Paris Wrap. Visit Topanien Global Gifts on First Friday for more options.
Where is our warm weather?
Remembering Summer in Multnomah Village.
Inspirational Banners * Hoodies from Nepal
First Friday March 2, 2012, 6-9:00 p.m.
Celebrate International Women's Day
with discounts on fairly traded, women made products.
One Cotton Cat Pillow is 10% off. Buy 2 and get 25% off one.
Or, draw for your discount: 10, 20 and 49% off tickets. Offers good during event only.
Celebrate International Womens Day with Discounts on Women made items at Topanien.
Topanien Global Gifts customers spent First Friday, Feb. 3, helping to raise the bar on Hershey Chocolate. We learned about the child labor used in the chocolate industry, signed petitions and discussed this issue.
All participants enjoyed a piece of fairly traded chocolate!Courtesy of Topanien Global Gifts
Education Under Fire - Film & Discussion
Education Under Fire was huge success over MLK Day. We learned about the Baha'i terrible plight in Iran; their inability to receive a higher education and much worse. And - we took actions to work towards positive change. Petitions were signed. Letters were written and mug shots for future enlightenment projects were taken. Mug shot of Topanien Global Gifts owner Nadine, below.
Event sponsered by SOU United Nations Club & Amnesty International Southern OR Chapter The Ashland Daily Tidings: Forum at SOU to Support the Baha'i Education in Iran
First First Friday of 2012 in 'The Village'
Everyone enjoyed 75% off all holiday items. Lots of you wore our signature color 'purple' and
we thanked you with a FREE World Beat Putumayo 2012 Calendar.
Wear Purple & get a Free Calander - First Friday, 6-9 pm
Dec 2011 - Holiday Gala & Benefit for Avivara
The Village celebrated the season with music, refreshments, specials and events.
Topanien Global Gifts had their annual Holiday Benefit; this year for
Avivara whose mission is 'to improve the quality of and access to education in rural, poverty-impacted villages in Guatemala and to cultivate interconnectedness between the peoples of Guatemala and the United States.
Together we raised $200 for Avivara and Anya(below left) won the Guatemalan Table Runner.
Topanien Global Gifts
with the NW Fair Trade Coalition celebrated fair trade at Portland's
2nd Annual Fair Trade Holiday Market in November
Customers traveled the world and discovered fairly traded folk art, accessories, toys, textiles, baskets, coffee, chocolate and more holiday gift items. And, they got the scoop behind their gifts; learing about who makes the items, how and under what conditions. Enjoy gifts that support your values as well as your fine tastes.
Participants included:
AWAZ A Voice for Empowerment, Equal Exchange, Topanien Global Gifts, Jojaba Collective, Julilee OR...
Halloween - was Fair Trade at Topanien Global Gifts
Topanien Global Gifts gave all the little ghosts, goblins, witches and pumpkins 'organic, fairly traded' chocolate!
Fair Trade First Friday in October
Topanien Global Gifts owner, Nadine/center, with members of the North West Fair Trade Coalition
showing off the new Fair Trade Banner - made with fairly trade printing blocks from India.
Creating the Fair Trade Banner on October First Friday at Topanien Global Gifts.
Fair Trade info & events at the North West Fair Trade Coalition blog.
World Peace Day
September 21- every year!
The International Day of Peace, also known as World Peace Day, occurs annually on September 21. It is a day dedicated to peace. All war stops and all sides respect this temporary cease fire in combat zones. Humanitarian assistance is immediately brought in along with supplies and healthcare that all people living in combat zones must generally go without. Vaccines are given on this day.
Smile for First Friday in September
What about Topanien Global Gifts makes you smile? First Friday in September customers shared their smiles with us on our Smile Tree and the reasons behind those smiles. Here are a few of the reasons for smiling at Topanien Gobal Gifts:
the people * diversity * color * good stuff from other countries * the music * the staff
fair labor practices
kitties * cell phone pouches * the good smell * prayer flags * unique kinds of items
Multnomah Day was August 20, 2011
Parade * Pancake Breakfast * Booths * Kids Play Area * Food * Live Music
Sidewalk Sale * Wine & Beer * Arts & Crafts
Multnomah Village-ites were down-right silly, sassy and having a darn good time. The sun shone all day as we pardaded down the street, shared breakfast, arts, crafts, sweet treats, information, music and drink.
Running for Women of the Congo
Women for Women put on the fun run to support and to raise awareness of the desperate plight of women in the Congo. Nadine, of Topanien Global Gifts, runs to support this cause.
While at the run, Nadine also connected with members of Portland Oregon's chapter of Amenesty International. Nadine is a founding member of the Sothern Oregon AI Chapter.
Joanne(left), Nadine, Jane (founding member of Portland AI since the 1970's),
Dave and Marty - all active members of Amnesty International.
Amnesty International Portland, Oregon & Amnesty International Southern Oregon
Free Hugs in The Village
First Friday in June was silly, happy and we had a blast. Everyone got into the act. People were taking our Free Hugs signs and flashing them around the Village encouraging friendship and camaraderie. Looks like we'll have to make 'Free Hugs' an annual event in Multnomah Village. SW Community Connection.
Were you there? Are you in our You Tube video? Check it out.
You Tube Video: Free Hugs at Topanien Global Gifts
Amnesty International -
Starting a New Chapter, Ashland, OR
Explaining about the club. "We are working to promote and protect human rights.
Amnesty is the premier Human Rights Organization in the world."
- Dave Lefkowitz, Nadine's (owner of Topanien Global Gifts) husband.
Dave receiving a flower for his efforts towards promoting Human Rights.
Look for your own local Amnesty International Chapter and ways to get involved on-line at
Lead in Your Community.
Portland, Or Amnesty International Chapter
Past First Friday, May 6, 2011
-We prepared Mother's Day cards encouraging our leaders
to demand better Maternal Health world-wide.
First Friday, May 6, 2011 at Topanien Global Gifts in SW Portland we prepared Amnesty International Mother's Day Cards for our leaders demanding a women's rigth to maternal health care. We also signed a petition encouraging our leaders to support the Maternal Health Care Act of 2011. And, all participants were given a little thank you gift from Nadine, owner of Topanien Global Gifts and organizer of the Topanien Campaign to help improve maternal health.
Topanien Global Gifts owner Nadine Lefkowitz attended the Amensty International 50 Years celebration and was moved by the plight of pregnant women world-wide. Information was made available at Topanien Global Gifts and cards were available so that we could send our plea for help. Topanien Global Gifts sent the cards on.
Mini Topanien Gifts were given to all participants!
Nadine (owner of Topanien Global Gifts) took the campaign to her Unitarian Universalist Church in Ashland and gained lots more cards and petition signatures.