On The Ground

Jacob Wheeler, Editor/Reporter fro the Glen Arbor Sun and other national publications just posted a nice piece on our sponsored film at the Traverse City Film Festival, BUDROS. It’s on the TCFF blog site. http://ow.ly/2iokG

Coffee, Community, Action is the motto of our organization. We do this by finding ways to bring access to fresh water, healthcare, and education to the communities that produce the raw materials and goods we sell as fair trade.

Today here in Traverse City, Michigan it’s Day One of the TC Film Festival, Michael Moore’s grand idea for our little town. One of the films presented today was Budros, a 2009 documentary that takes place in a small village along the disputed 1500 mile border separating Israel from Palestine. It’s about an unlikely hero who emerges as an activist to step in and protect the village’s interests.

Since our founding partner, Higher Grounds Trading Company, just starting importing fair trade Olive Oil from Palestine, company owner Chris Treter shut down the operation to make sure the entire staff got a chance to see the movie so they could better understand the conditions under which this product is being made.

Higher Grounds also sponsored the movie. It’s just another example of the thought that goes into this work. It’s never as simple as sourcing the cheapest products for the greatest gain. It’s about having a lasting change on the places that toil to bring us the things that give us that subtle sense of day to day luxury.

Last Tuesday, July 22nd, On The Ground made hit a major milestone.  It hired an Executive Director to take charge of its many projects and services.  Bill Palladino, long time activist and nonprofit business consultant took over the reigns of the organization.  He’ll be focusing his attentions on raising money and handling logistics for the Run Across Ethiopia scheduled to start the week of January 8th, 2011.   He’ll also simultaneously be creating the organizational infrastructure that will allow On The Ground to be a viable stand-alone nonprofit organization for beyond the January 2011 event.

This blog will host comments and observations from Bill and other staff and board as the organization takes shape over the next year.