On the 13th of October, it had been raining most of the day. We were quite frightened because the rain was not stopping; rather, it was coming down with fury! We have been flooded before, and just had new floors and carpets put into the house. My husband is handicapped, and cannot lift, bend, or carry much of anything. I am also unable to do any of the above. But I knew we had to do something. So I prayed. I asked that the fire station in Angwin have sandbags, and somehow have someone kind enough to deliver these bags, and put them around the house. At the time I called the fire house, they had no sandbags, but were expecting some to be delivered, but there were no folks there who would be able to deliver them to our home!

At about 4:30pm, there was a knock on the door. My husband answered it, and to his great surprise, there stood a few college students with sandbags, asking where they should place them. It was Mr. Tyler Cantrell and Mr. Nate Garcia, both students who had graduated from PUC. I tell you, they had wings on their shoulders and halos above their heads! These kind young men did the job they came to do for us, not asking for anything in return. I want to thank these young men who took the precious time out of their busy day to help us.
Don’t ever let one think our young people are not loving, kind, and considerate. I owe them so much for their kindness, meekness, humility, and service. Thank you, Nate and Tyler.

Sincerely,
Raymond and Yvonne Koller

Starting with the College itself, there are several hundred acres of forest full of trails that are available for your exploration. This land, which is located behind the airport, is owned by our great institution and makes for a fun and memorable activity for groups of any size. In addition, it doesn’t even cost a thing. The most popular destination of the College land is a lookout point where you can see nearly all of Pope Valley. It is known as Inspiration Point, and though it may be disappointing to some because it doesn’t have the dazzle of Disneyland, it gives a clear quest for your group instead of wandering around the trails like the children of Israel. Besides, the enjoyable part isn’t simply the destination but the journey itself, which takes about an hour at a walking pace. If you are interested in checking out the backwoods for the first time, it is recommended to take a map or go with someone that has gone before. Also, if you check your announce emails, there are many groups that go hiking or biking on Sabbath afternoons.

Another common, yet beautiful, student excursion is walking to Linda Falls. This hike has the best of both worlds; it is fun and short. Located just south of the College off of the east side of Howell Mountain Road, Linda Falls follows a paved path properly marked as Falls Road. Follow this path long enough and you will begin to hear the distant sound of falling water break the silence of your hike. The most common path leads to the top of the waterfall allowing viewers to watch as the seemingly tranquil water jumps abruptly off the side of a cliff. Simply sitting and meditating on the surrounding green beauty is a sure delight for anyone, and the perfect way to relax after taking a demanding test.

I would encourage all students to take advantage of the nature that PUC has to offer. These natural wonders are of a caliber that I have rarely encountered even as a resident of Oregon, which prides itself as being a Mecca for nature lovers. So please, be safe and have a good time. Your stay here at PUC only lasts a few years; make the most of them.

In the first Senate meeting, all of your elected senators came very professionally dressed, and instilled an air of professionalism. Our EVP, Warrie Layon, quickly took to the housekeeping that is customary of the introductory Senate meeting, explained rules and expected conduct while in senate, and also explained to us the use of Senate’s new twitter accounts for each individual Senator.

Despite not getting paid, your senators have codes of conducts, rules and responsibilities to which they must adhere. There are also expectations on how much they contribute to the Senate floor. This includes presenting at least two bills a quarter.

This moves us to the next portion of Senate: the bills. The Senate was presented with a very important bill having to due with excess funds that the Senate has been saving for the past 10-15 years. This money was re-distributed by vote so that it could be better used to benefit you, the constituents of this Senate.

In addition to the bill that was passed, each senator was asked to give a possible area that needs attention by the Senate. All the problems previously mentioned, as well as others, were discussed and given thought. However, since senators are representatives of you, the students, please give us your suggestions. We are on Twitter, we are in your dorms, in the caf’, in the library, in your classes, so just let us know and share your concerns with us.

The Senate is here to help the students, to make life here on campus enjoyable, and to make it a place where you like to learn. If you have a special project in mind, if you see something that needs fixing, come to Senate. Senate does not just spend money on SA related activities, but it passes bills to benefit you, the student, and it does not necessarily mean that it will always be money-related. It could be a policy suggestion to the administration or a general improvement for the campus.

Look for frequent updates on Senate and remember: please share your needs with your senators!

Frankly, as far as art galleries go, St. Helena is one of the best places to hone your snobby intellectualism, or to begin to come to terms with it. On Main Street alone, there are no less than four formal art galleries, and several more if you expand your definition of gallery—and all of them are free.

Caldwell Snyder

My personal favorite as far as my taste in genre, Caldwell Snyder is about halfway down the first section of Main Street. The gallery has a contemporary leaning, with a movement toward emerging artists that makes it the most radical gallery in St. Helena. Caldwell Snyder is more than just a gallery; it is, according to according to gallery employee and PUC alumna Katie Hopgood, a “cultural epicenter,” featuring humanitarian and intellectual exhibits as well, such as an impending lecture series. The gallery tends to have a good deal of geometric and fluid abstraction with the vivid colors and busyness typical of the late twentieth century, as well as some decent neo-impressionism and simply phenomenal surrealist paintings. Current displays include sculptures by Greg Miller, and a series of fascinating absurdist—though, according to the artist, not surrealist, because all of the instances are potentially feasible, no matter the improbability—works by Ukrainian artist Ilya Zomb. The gallery has an upper-class feel, though its amicable employees make one feel comfortable. If modern art is your thing, then Caldwell Snyder is a must-visit; the exhibits tend to rotate with some frequency, so it is worth dropping by several times over the year.

I. Wok

Another favorite, the I. Wok gallery has a more “conservative” slant to its art, according to one of the employees. Works here tend to be representative or concrete, though generally via intriguing and novel methods. There remain a few paintings from an artist who does flowers with pictures from magazines (often shocking pictures, which makes it all the more interesting), and some of the impressionist paintings I have seen previously were obscure almost to the point of abstraction, yet profoundly concrete. There is also a good bit of sculpture—currently, a series of birds and fruit that appeal even to my preference for surrealism and abstraction, while still remaining definitely concrete. The ambiance sits somewhere between a formal museum and a small-town gallery, and the combination is both friendly and formal. This gallery is a safe and worthwhile stop on your journey into art galleries.

Art on Main

If the museum style of I Wok and Caldwell Snyder intimidate you, Art on Main is a brilliant starting point. While still very much an art gallery, the architecture of the gallery is such that it feels far more private, separating you from the front desk and other art-surveyors, and not like you need to be wearing a full suit or evening gown (though we do like formal wear). The gallery is “a little bit of everything” according to manager Suzanne Perkins, with a leaning toward “area” artists, though it includes national and international art as well. Currently, Art on Main has some outstanding impressionist paintings, and a good bit of pastoral—specifically Napa Vally-esque—representative painting and sculpture. The gallery is very focused on the experience of the viewer, with design and setting intentionally created to ensure an atmosphere of comfort and accessibility.

Christopher Hill

We will be frank: we intended to go to the Christopher Hill gallery, but we were running short on time, and it happens to be closed on Tuesdays, which is both when we went down, and the day before we need our final copy. Based on what I have seen before, once you get over the feeling of trespassing through the little door and stairwell, the gallery itself is well-worth visiting. The artwork lands nicely in the center between radical and conservative, with a little on both ends, and a solid mix of genre. Construction itself encourages something between a formal museum feel and a more intimate experience. The artists featured tend to be nationally and internationally renowned, and therefore of exceptional quality. Definitely worth your time; fear not the stairs.

Other galleries

Several stores on Main Street like Findings, Martin (M.), etc. are eclectic and set up with an eye for design and display. While they may not consider themselves galleries, or others may not consider them galleries, they most certainly could be. While on your tour of St. Helena’s art, I suggest dropping by some of these stores as well.
So get on your collared shirt or nice blouse, puff yourself up with intellectual confidence, and go forth to check out the culture St. Helena offers. With so much talent and beauty at our fingertips, it would be a shame for PUC-ites to miss these opportunities.

Kind of food: American food, but they are known for their traditional breakfast food.

Favorite thing about the restaurant: Gillwood’s looks like it’s morning inside, even when it’s 1-2:00 in the afternoon, because of the colors that the walls are painted. Since there isn’t much space to wait in, there are usually people littering the sidewalk, waiting for tables. Be prepared to get close to the people sitting on either side of you at other tables, because it’s likely they won’t be more than a foot away from you. It is cozy and warm, and at least in my experience, which makes me feel better about the morning.

Favorite Dish: Huevos Rancheros. It’s breakfast with a bit of spice to keep things interesting.
Atmosphere: The atmosphere is fairly lively, can be noisy, and as mentioned before, can put you in close quarters with your neighbors. It is a good place for big groups to go to and hang out and talk together. It’s definitely not a place that you would want to get super dressed up for, but you wouldn’t want to roll out of bed and go in your sweatpants and bed head.
Price range: $8-$15 for a plate and a drink or side order.

Culinary Institute of America
Sheana Lynn- don’t know her class rank/major

The Culinary Institute of America in St.Helena was an extremely delicious and memorable dining experience. The restaurant was decorated with dark, modern table arrangements, and plastered metal pieces along the walls. Tall, wood paneling and chestnut paint it gave the restaurant a rustic look. We were seated at a table overlooking the main kitchen. As fire flared up and spices were violently put into each entrée, we were given our menus to decide our meals.
While we pondered our choices, we received two servings of freshly baked sour dough bread cut into perfectly delectable sizes for our eating desires. We ripped the pieces apart still steaming and began to enjoy them. The appetizer plate of assorted flavors and tastes started our meal off with excitement for the main course. I had chosen the Garden Mushroom Pasta with creamy Alfredo sauce, while my dining partner had chosen the petite hanger steak he’d been dreaming about for weeks.

Some variety of conversations and one Arnold Palmer later, our meals had arrived. The entree steamed with wafting flavors of new tastes and familiar enjoyment. We ate in almost cartoonish enjoyment of the impeccable tastes. My dish was absolutely wonderful. The pasta was perfectly layered in their Alfredo sauce combined with onions, garlic, fresh spinach, and assortment of melting cheeses.

This would most definitely be an impressive place to bring a date, due to the high price of food and formal setting of the restaurant. The service was excellent, with professional and friendly attitudes. Altogether, the restaurant was a very enjoyable experience, and most definitely should be a point of interest.

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
Jackie Lott, Freshman Psychology

Driving past Taylor’s Automatic Refresher on the 29 is always fun. Around lunchtime, the line to order snakes around the picnic tables and friends & families crowd themselves underneath sun umbrellas. If you decide to stop and get yourself a cheeseburger, you’re more than likely to run into one of your Pacific Union College schoolmates.

Try a bleu cheese burger if you’re into something different. With a thick slab of meat and a layer of crumbled bleu cheese, this sandwich is everything a student at PUC who is missing his or her meat needs.

This restaurant attracts people of all kinds. You’ll see youth, old couples, and families – all types of people. The price range is reasonable for a student; they’re asking for about $7-$11 for a burger. With fries and a drink you’ll be spending around $15.
Visiting Taylor’s is a must for any PUC student. Head over there with your buddies, sit down with a burger and fries, and have a good time.

French Laundry
Elaine Jahng Super Senior, Chemistry

There are few places as celebrated as the Yountville-based institution The French Laundry, which is owned by celebrity chef Thomas Keller. Specializing in French and American cuisine, the restaurant offers not just a unique dining experience to those with an adventurous palate, but the philosophy that a meal should be comfortable yet spectacular. This is seen in the carefully crafted nine-course menus—one for meat-eaters and one for vegetarians—in which each ingredient is used only once during the entire meal. Every course is designed to wow diners with a dazzlingly ephemeral taste that leaves them wanting just another bite. While you may expect a restaurant as lauded as The French Laundry to be uncomfortable and stiff, the intimate setting and phenomenal wait-staff will put you at ease. Keep in mind that this is a 3- to 4-hour affair, so choose your company wisely. Gentlemen, jackets are required and jeans, shorts, and sneakers are not recommended. Furthermore, because space is extremely limited and demand is high, you must reserve a spot exactly two months ahead of time. Phone reservations pour in promptly at nine every morning, so you may have better luck reserving a table through the website www.opentable.com. Finally, prepare yourself for the steep price of $160, which rises to $200 after tax and tip. For more information, visit their website.

Pacificos
Chris von Kriegelstein/Sophomore English Major

The kind of food: Mexican

Favorite thing about the restaurant: The attentive waiters/waitresses and loud Friday night mariachis!

Favorite Dish: Chile Rellenos + neverending chips and salsa!

Atmosphere: Casual date place, no booths, small cafe style restaurant, two sides of the restaurant; bar side and the slightly quieter dining side. The murals on a few of the walls, tiled floor, assortment of tropical real/fake plants, and the open windows throughout the restaurant add a cheery below the border feel.
Price range: $10-$20 per person

Buster’s
Crystal Um Super Senior/Journalism

The kind of food: Southern BBQ

Favorite thing about the restaurant: It’s the ultimate carnivore feast guaranteed to satisfy your stomach and taste buds. If the meat is too much for your liking, ask for another roll, and you’ve got yourself another sandwich to go.

Favorite Dish: Tri-tip Sandwich with side of corn bread & baked beans. Don’t underestimate the medium sauce, because it’ll scorch you if you can’t take the heat. Only try spicy if you want to set your soul on fire. What I like to do is mix medium & spicy to get something in between.

Atmosphere: Pretty casual. Unless you’re opposed to outside seating and getting your hands a little dirty, it’s an ideal spot for those of you with an anorexic wallet, but a hot date. Just don’t forget the paper towels if your mess gets all over the place and not just in your face.
Price range: $8-$12

Guigni’s
Alyssa Zima Senior, Biology

The kind of food: Guigni’s serves the most amazing sandwiches that I have ever partaken in my 20 years of life, as well as various baked goods and candies that are only seen in old-time general stores.

Favorite thing about the restaurant: I love the fact that the Guigni sandwich workers remember my usual order. Also, the concept that you can buy Guigni juice by the bottle is pretty sweet, as well.

Favorite Dish: Vege sandwich, with pepper jack, cucumbers, and avocado, on sweet bread. Abundantly doused with Guigni juice, salt, and pepper.

Atmosphere: This is probably one of the more casual places to hang-out in the area. Even for those choosing to eat-in, the sandwiches are served on disposable paper plates. It is perfect for a casual date, or jolly lunch.
Price range: $5-$8

CC Blue
Scott Brizendine Senior, Teaching

CC Blue is the greatest, aka closest, Sushi Bar in the Napa Valley! For us seafood lovers we can get a great range from yellowtail too eel, and for the rest of the non meat-eaters, there is actually delightful array of vegetable maki with a wide range of choices from Avocado rolls to Tempura sweet potatoes. Each of the meals comes with a great blend of tea, and a wonderful little cabbage salad. Prices range from $5-$15, depending on what you get. This place is a great choice for a switch up from the normal choice eateries around PUC.

Soo Yuan
Raphael “Sho” Jimenez Junior, Television with Pre-medtech

The kind of food: Chinese. EVERYONE’S favorite.

Favorite thing about the restaurant: The overall “homeliness” and “hole in the wall” local feeling – that and PUC students get 10% off. Why? Don’t question… just thank. You can’t get that anywhere else. Seriously.

Favorite Dish: People expect me to say “Orange Chicken” but I say “Pssshaw” to that. “Garlic Fish” is where it’s at. A perfect blend of sweet and savory sauce over battered fish fried to perfection. Panda Express has nothing on this.

Atmosphere: The place has the potential to be a date spot, yet the atmosphere seems to promote a very casual vibe. Take her (and for you daring ladies out there, him) for lunch. I suggest on the weekend so you have time for “other” activities (Oh yeah, it would be PERFECT for group outings if it weren’t a bit cramped).

Price range: $6-$10 per dish. Family-style would probably put you $10-$20 per person for more than one dish depending on the dish, but if you really care for the person, you would not mind.

The St. Helena Library also has a fairly good selection of books—96,000, to be specific. I love reading mystery novels, and they have a great section for that. Also, I really enjoy listening to books on CD, and they have a variety of those is stock, as well. I’ve found that you can even get some of the books you read for school in audio book form. It’s great to be able to give your eyes a break and just listen to your homework.

Aside from books, audio books, and DVDs, the St. Helena Library hosts a number of events each month. There are movie nights, puppet shows, writing workshops, Cranium game parties, poetry readings, computer training, and opportunities to meet with authors and discuss their works. I’ve even signed up for the library notification service that sends me e-mail reminders of upcoming events. So I suggest you wander on over to St. Helena Public Library sometime when you’re in St. Helena grabbing some food or doing some shopping, sign up for your free membership, and start enjoying what they have to offer!

Baksheesh, on Main Street in St. Helena, is a Fair Trade store with an emphasis on humanity over consumption. Managed by Katie Schnable, a sociology graduate from Washington D.C., Baksheesh is dedicated to creating sustainability by purchasing from artisans across the globe via fair trade.

“Fair trade” is a mode of business in which artisans are paid a “livable wage in their community,” according to Schnable, an amount which may vary from country to country, but ensures education, health care, sustenance, and shelter for the workers. The store seeks to “partner with artisans on long term” said Schnable, in order to ensure consistency in funding for the workers. Within the Fair Trade Federation – a collective of vendors dedicated to fair trade – Baksheesh contacts fellow vendors, who then contract with the artisans in order to ensure sustainability on a global, marketable scale.

Schnable founded the store because, to her, fair trade “just makes sense.” It is her goal to raise social awareness about the way consumers take consumption for granted, and to reveal the facets of social justice embedded in spending and shopping. For example, when one purchases something from Baksheesh, one is given the choice between a bag and a piece of chocolate. “Eventually we want people to take neither, but right now, the reward system works,” Schnable explains, but the point is to get people to think about things like from where their grocery and shopping bags come, and the global effects of such mass consumerism.

A good part of Baksheesh and Schnable’s mission is to provide access to information that bestows a “different way to see the world,” from maps that call into question the Euro-centric tradition by demonstrating that such a view of geography is not a given, or a particularly fascinating map that proportions country size by population. In addition, one can purchase the “Better World Hand-guide” similar to the text sold by David Bastone from the Not-For-Sale campaign that made waves at PUC through Revo two years previous. The handbook lists major corporations and companies in various modes of production, rating them on a scale of fair trade, slave labor, and other humanitarianly-minded aspects.

On top of all of the good intentions, Baksheesh has an eclectic and fantastic array of clothing, decorations, and artwork, from scarves to items one may never have before seen, but will make one wish that one had. Items come from Nepal, Peru, Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia, India, Indonesia, South Africa, and Kenya, to name a few of the widespread locales. Pricing is quite affordable, and it always makes me feel better to know that, to quote Schnable, my money “is going to a family in Nepal for food, rather than a guy in Southern California for a Mercedes.”

As Christians, as intellectuals, as students of humanity at a liberal arts college, it is our duty to be conscious that, as Schnable puts it, “Where you spend your money is where you cast your vote.” Not only is this in part true in the bipartisan political sense, but more importantly, money spent for fair trade is a vote for humanity over consumption, for people over corporations, for sustainability over social stratification. So cast your vote for humanity through Baksheesh, and make some “good” purchases in every sense of the word.

There are two real options for stocking your fridge if you attend PUC. There’s the college market, and Safeway. Depending on what you need, the right decision can be the difference between a panini and a pop tart. And so I’ve been asked to play Consumer Reports to tell you what you can expect from both.

In our very own front yard, we have the college market. If veggie meat is what gets you out of bed in the mornings, look no further. The freezers are nigh stuffed with the little devils, ranging from the rubbery to the crunchy. And while Safeway carries a few types of garden and veggie burgers, the local market definitely has a wider variety.

The college market also has the advantage of being connected to an Ace Hardware Store and the bookstore. And while this is a little like bribing your grandchildren to come visit by offering them cookies, it is a handy fact if you want to run multiple errands in the least amount of miles. Since the market is within walking distance, it means you don’t have to wait for your friends to go to St. Helena if you don’t have a car or are too lazy to drive yourself. Overall, the local store boasts convenience over its competition.

Safeway is the other option, since WalMart isn’t sophisticated enough to operate in wine country. In Safeway, you will find a wider variety of the same things offered at the college market –veggie products excluded. The biggest difference is most likely the entire quarter of the store dedicated to the booze. But since we’re all angels, this is a moot point.

Also, if you don’t like chewing on something with the consistency of a superball, you can find real meat at Safeway. If it was alive at some point, and humans can eat it, it will most likely be there. This is the deal maker for me. A side note is that there is a wider variety of DVD’s at Safeway, but I’ve never been that hungry myself. Overall, the mainstream contender offers more. Period. And if you get a membership, you can get more for less, just like all the bad slogans tell you.

Both of these establishments will offer what you need (probably). And you will wind up at one or the other at some point in time here at PUC (if you’re normal). But I guess the bottom line is that the college market is like a Motel 6. Convenient in many ways, and it will get the job done. But the Safeway is like a Marriot. It’s a bit more trouble to get to one, but it offers everything the Motel 6 does plus a mint on your pillow.

Nola Brantley, Co-Director of MISSSEY, Motivating, Inspiring, and Supporting and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth, served as a panelist for the breakout session titled “Innovative Models of Survivor Care,” Brantley was the first intensive case management treatment service model and programs for commercially sexually exploited children to receive specialized advocacy and assessment in Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center, the development and implementation of a transition and recovery center for commercially sexually exploited children in Oakland.

Brantley indicated how 90 percent of the victims are American children in the foster care system. These children were removed from biological care on the premise of protection, only to be used as consumer exploitation for street and Internet prostitution purposes. Brantley discussed the 2002-2003 cases where groups of 3-5 children under 18 were arrested upon the charges of prostitution to demonstrate how there were no concrete systems in place for domestic cases of sexual exploitation. Brantley served as an advocate for these children who were prosecuted under the 647B Prostitution charges because of the discrepancies between the law and how the children were processed legally in Alameda House Justice Centers. “Domestic cases do not have the same protection resources as international cases,” Brantley said. “Our kids are falling through the cracks.”

The reoccurring cases of trafficked minors were also validated by Lucy Borja, who created Generacion, a Not for Sale International project providing prevention and aftercare programs to street children in order to develop entrepreneurial economic life skills in Lima, Peru. “Children do not share in the same freedom as adults, and are not even regarded as citizens,” Borja said. According to Borja, Children are arrested and sent to juvenile hall on the basis of polluting the public environment—an outcry made by local residents who shun the children as decreasing their property value. There are many instances of children being shot and abused by criminal enforcement and exploiters. The traffickers target children who have no one to turn to, forcing them to be dependent suppliers of their demands.

Borja has worked with the government to create homes and opportunities for the children who have been marginalized by the system. They were able to start a landscaping business with the government to provide for basic needs for the women and children, as well as a means of preventing re-victimization by their exploiters. In addition to recreational life skills, empowerment is also employed as a method for prevention. Borja believes in the power of theatre, music, and surfing to promote social change in an environment where children can tell their own stories to educate others in the safety of school settings.

The marginalized victims living in impoverished homes are a distinguished trend of human trafficking cases in Lima, Peru, and around the globe. Entrepreneur, David Ormesher, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Closerlook, Inc., and Adjunct Professor of Customer Management at the IIT Stuart Graduate School of Business, Chicago, IL, proposed entrepreneurial solutions to crisis to promote change, as evidenced with Borja’s landscaping business in Peru. He emphasized how human trafficking could not be undermined unless strategic objectives were employed along with mutual partnership of developing countries to combat poverty. The demand for social enterprise businesses have been growing with grants up to $20,000 for ideas to advance sustainable practices and public engagement. Currently, Rwanda has been receptive to social enterprise policies, and has streamlined investment options so that an outside investor is entitled to 50 percent of the invested amount or used assets. Freeplay Energy, one example of a successful social enterprise in Rwanda, replaced dangerous kerosene lights with sustainable, cost-efficient sunlight and “wind-up” technology lanterns. Unlike conventional business models, the challenge of social enterprises like Freeplay Energy was to create a capital based on the average earnings of the demographic. The dollar-a-day approach was used to make Freeplay Energy as affordable as kerosene, yet renewable for a lifetime.

Sustainability and entrepreneurship may be the solution according to Stephanie Voorkamp, Director of Business Development for the Not for Sale Campaign. Voorkamp, who recently took over the Not For Sale Freedom store a couple months ago, endeavors to reform the consumer culture that contributes to the flourishing business of trafficking. The antithesis of slave-driven business models, Voorkamp’s Freedom Store is comprised of low-income artisans and rescued victims who supply the basic needs of the consumer, and provide a way of escape to those held bondage by the leading cause of human trafficking—poverty. Like Freeplay Energy’s social enterprise, Voorkamp’s global market models promote sustainability as it is utilized as a resource for further education and financial independence.

Entrepreneurship strategies to combat the multimillion-dollar business of human trafficking was also the forefront of abolitionist David Arkless, President of Corporate and Governmental Affairs, Manpower, Inc. “Gangs set up trafficking rings as a business,” Arkless explained. “The only way to stop them is to cut off supply and demand situations.” Arkless’s current objective is to change human resource policies, and to create a code of conduct for employees of worldwide suppliers, as stated in his Athens’s Declaration. The Athens’s Declaration forbids employees from hiring prostitutes on business trips, and requires the company to check supply chains. Arkless’s vision for global strength relies on research, data, surveillance, verification, communication but most importantly, individuals to raise their “viral voices” in bringing redemption and freedom to the slaves.

Resources:
European Journal on Human Trafficking
Not For Sale Campaign Investigator Academy
How to Identify Trafficking

Closest to home, nestled in the hills of beautiful Angwin, sits the Community Services Center, better known as “The Dorcas,” a common name for thrift stores, referring to Dorcas in Acts 9:36-42. She was a dressmaker who made clothes for the poor in her town. You will find it at 275 Clark Way. The building is very blue and, therefore, hard to miss. I have heard inspiring stories from individuals who have ventured there. One family was attempting to furnish their daughter’s apartment as cheaply as possible and found two end tables and two lamps – all for only $10! Another friend of mine has found textbooks there… might be worth looking into.

On Main Street in St. Helena, you will find the Acorn Thrift Shop. It is smallish store with a humble entrance, but inside, smart deals and good times lay waiting. There is a sizeable section of clothing, mostly women’s, but men and children are not excluded. One corner of the store is full of books; you are likely to find something of interest. Two smaller rooms are built into the main store; one is filled with shoes, and the other contains primarily dishes and glassware. If you are in need of goblets or china dishes, this is the place to go. It would be silly of me not to mention that, on my last visit to Acorn, I spied some Guess, Ann Taylor, and DKNY pants in excellent condition selling for around $10.

Lolo’s, a consignment store, also located on Main Street, is a place you might be interested in checking out. Keep in mind that it is a consignment store, not a thrift store, so it is not as cheap. However, good deals do abound; prices are marked down to about 25% of the original retail price.

A number of people do not know the difference between these types of stores, so I will explain. When people want to get rid of their clothes and other belongings, but do not want to throw them away, they donate them to a thrift shop. The money from sales is given to a charity or church organization. People in consignment, however, are in the business of making money. While both have standards for what they will accept, consignment stores have much higher standards. In most cases, clothing must be name brand, season appropriate, and barely worn. People bring their clothes to the store to be sold and then take home a percentage (around 40%) of the final sale price. This is also an option if you are looking to make some money!
If you are willing and able to make the roughly 30 minute drive to Calistoga, you are sure to have a good time. Just as you enter town and turn right onto Lincoln Ave, you find yourself face to face with the Bargain Basket AND Sugar Daddy’s Consignment and Original Design, next door to each other. Bargain Basket provides just what its name promises: great bargains. Sugar Daddy’s carries some truly decent clothes at reasonable prices.

Over the past few weeks, a few friends and I have stopped by most of these shops. We had awesome times trying on random and ridiculous outfits. If you are in need of something to do, I highly recommend giving thrift stores a shot. Remember to bring a camera to capture the memories!