Snow Leopard Trust Holiday Sale

Here’s a neighborhood holiday shopping event with global benefits: The Snow Leopard Trust is holding a holiday sale this Thursday (12/15) at the Good Shepherd Center (#225) from 2:00-5:00pm.

The Snow Leopard Trust is an non-profit, international organization headquartered right here in Wallingford, dedicated to community-based snow leopard conservation. There are only 4,000 snow leopards left in the wild and the Snow Leopard Trust partners with communities in 5 different countries to address snow leopard endangerment. In an email to me, Antonia provided a great example of some of their community work:

One of our flagship programs, Snow Leopard Enterprises, helps herders make and sell fine wool handicrafts to increase their income. In turn, herders sign conservation contracts pledging to protect snow leopards living in their area. We sell these products on-line through snowleopard.org, through zoos and other stores, AND through our store in the Good Shepherd Center.

With that in mind, here’s what you can expect from the sale:

You can enjoy a warm beverage and a tasty holiday treat while you browse our colorful array of handmade felted wool crafts from Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan. We also have a line of organic and sustainable logo items, such as t-shirts, caps, travel mugs and more! The best part is that when you shop, you’re helping save a snow leopard!

Antonia also mentioned that Snow Leopard Enterprises was “recently honored by the BBC, and world voters, by winning the BBC World Challenge, a contest is aimed at ‘finding projects or small businesses from around the world that have shown enterprise and innovation at a grassroots level.’ ”

So, stop by the sale — perhaps even on your way to “Celebrate One Wallingford” at The Good Shepherd on Thursday. It’s a great opportunity to support a local non-profit, impoverished communities, and an endangered wildlife species!

The Snow Leopard Trust Holiday Sale takes place in their retail store at the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Avenue N.) in Suite 225 (which is located right where you walk in the front door at the GSC).