Sweet success.

For those of you thinking about Amani over the weekend, thank you! Both days' events were a great success with lots of sales and connections with visitors.

Saturday's sidewalk sale was a huge hit and our best Saturday as far as sales go. Sunday's Fiesta DC event brought tens of thousands of people to Mt. Pleasant St, many of whom stopped in to find out about Amani. Throughout the day, we heard, "I've been meaning to check out your new shop. I'm glad you're out here!"

I posted some photos on the AmaniDC blog. You can snag a peek here.

Just a word...or 175

We're heading into one of our first busy fall weekends, with a sidewalk sale on Saturday and Fiesta DC on Sunday. We've been had our hands full making sure that Amani products get to volunteers and webstore customers throughout the United States, so we appreciate opportunities to connect locally with these events.

As a little boost of affirmation, Zoe Sandvig, a local writer friend, visited us during the Grand Opening and wrote a profile on the AmaniDC center for World Magazine. It offers a glimpse of the friendships and experiences behind the new location. Check it out here. And I got to chat with a reporter from the Memphis Commercial Appeal who wrote this piece to promote a volunteer sale in their area this week. Opportunities to share about Amani and why I love it are so energizing.

With lots of product-related tasks coming in, our little team of staff and volunteers are pulling together and pitching in a lot these days. It's a refreshing change of pace to be able to work on a variety of things and so gratifying to watch products that represent our friends' livelihoods. It's an encouragement to them and makes me anticipate the day when I can see them again. Hopefully that will be in the new year. More on that next time!

Cooling Down and Gearing Up

Fall arrived rather abruptly to DC last week. On the first of September, the temperatures dropped and the humidity seeped off to torment some other poor city. We were ready for this--the District, as well as Amani.

It was nice to have a slower pace in August, with the grand opening past and the fall rush not yet upon us. We took the time to catch our breath and get ready for the events and sales we anticipate for the fall. A few weeks ago, a few friends and their little ones spent the morning with us modeling bags and kids items. The photos are now scattered throughout the online shop. And with the arrival of six big boxes last Friday from Nairobi, the fall rush officially got underway. (Just a tip: there are some really great new things online and in the shop right now. Plus, free shipping in September!)

The back-to-school season has also meant that some of our summer volunteers are returning to their work schedules. Fortunately, we've been getting some other nice folks to help us out. Between Idealist.org and the local universities, we've got lots of willingly, helpful hands. We find their presence with us not only practically helpful, but encouraging too. It draws in new people who connect with Amani in their own unique way--be it organizing and system-tweaking, learning about the craftsmanship of the products, or deepening their understanding of development and social enterprise.

Speaking of events, here's a list of some of the events we have coming up. Mark your calendars if you're in the area!

Saturday, September 26th - Mt. Pleasant Sidewalk Sale
A pre-Fiesta DC sidewalk sale with other vendors on the main street.

10:00 am to 4:00 pm @ AmaniDC

Sunday, September 27th - Fiesta DC
Fiesta DC is an annual event celebrating Latino cultures and heritage in the DC area that takes place on Mt. Pleasant Street! This is a big event with lots of food, people, and music. It should be a lot of fun.

11:00 am to 7:00 pm @ AmaniDC

Saturday, October 17th - Hearts & Hands Bazaar
This annual crafts bazaar has become a staple for Amani's fall schedule.

9:00 am to 3:00 pm @ Messiah United Methodist Church (6215 Rolling Road, Springfield, VA)

Friday & Saturday, November 6th & 7th: AmaniDC Holiday Open House
Our big sale event for the holiday season with a large sale section.

2:00 to 7:00 on Friday, 10:00 to 4:00 on Saturday @ AmaniDC

As we move into this busier season, there are certainly some items for prayer:

• Opportunities to connect through Amani with customers in the shop and at these events.
• Strong sales at volunteer sales across the US, online, in the shop, and at local events.
  
• Good communications with the rest of the Amani family in Africa, that we might encourage and strengthen one another.
• Energy & creativity for everyone working together at AmaniDC.
• Ongoing relationships with groups and individuals in the community, that Amani would be an agent of peace where there is discord.

Thank you for your prayers, visits, donations, and words of encouragement. I cannot express enough how important it is for me and for Amani.

Now, go celebrate fall and enjoy an apple.