The door dings when you walk into the store, and friendly salespeople greet you as soothing music floats in the background. Ten Thousand Villages resembles most other small crafts stores, until you tune into what the salespeople are saying when they welcome you: “We’re a nonprofit, Fair-Trade developed store carrying merchandise that supports artisan groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America.”

Salesperson Katherine Cruthirds, a volunteer like the majority of Ten Thousand Villages staffers, explained that Ten Thousand Villages buys directly from the craftspeople to eliminate the middleman. The organization pays the artisans up front to ensure a fair livable wage. Cruthirds said many suppliers are women, and it is very difficult for them, especially widows, to pull in enough revenue to support and feed themselves.

Ten Thousand Villages was founded when businesswoman Edna Ruth Byler was moved by the poverty she saw on a visit to Puerto Rico in 1946, according to Ten Thousand Villages’ website. Byler wanted to give local people the chance to sell their goods in North America, and began by selling their products out of the trunk of her car. Byler’s work led her to found Ten Thousand Villages stores, which are now located across North America.

In the Atlanta area, Ten Thousand Villages stores are located in the Virginia Highlands and the Perimeter Mall area. A store in Cumming is brand-new, said Cruthirds.

The Virginia Highlands location is almost 16 years old, and will be holding its Sweet 16 party on Sept. 12. The Atlanta locations all offer mostly similar products, although the Virginia Highlands store sells fair-trade coffee and chocolate products.

The store’s moniker very accurately depicts its products. A quick glance around reveals the products are quite recognizably created in a village, with more of a hippie than hipster vibe. Smiling suns and tie-dye are present on some pieces that the average Emory student doesn’t sport. However, there are lots of hidden gems, particularly in the jewelry section, where the products are eye-catching and very unique.

Cruthirds, a small woman decked out in Keen sandals and linen pants, said lots of the products had interesting stories behind them. She glanced around, then grabbed a small wooden baby Jesus figurine from a manger, which was made from olive wood by Palestinian Christians.

Cruthirds said the artisans typically carved from branches that naturally fell from the olive trees, but the trees were being felled in large numbers to create room for new Israeli settlements. Sales to Ten Thousand Villages helps support the artisans as their means for making a livelihood are decreased.

Cruthirds then wandered to a small maroon drawstring purse, sitting next to the shiny array of jewelry on display. Cruthirds said a Nepalese solider who served in the British army visited his family at home and noticed a string of smoke coming from a nearby cave. His family informed the soldier a woman with leprosy was living in the cave. The solider knew leprosy was not contagious, despite popular cultural belief, and walked in and gave the woman a hug. The woman said she had not been touched for three decades, since she was diagnosed with leprosy at age 10. The soldier was inspired to create a commune for people with leprosy, who support themselves by creating purses, bags and other crafts.

After hearing these stories, I found it impossible not to purchase anything, so I bought a purse, a pair of earrings and a small bar of fair-trade chocolate. The purse and earrings were definitely within a college student’s budget, priced at $14 and $8. Most Ten Thousand Villages products were very reasonably priced, and ranged from about $10 to $50 for most accessories and household decorations.

While the purse and earrings were great finds, the $1.50 chocolate bar wasn’t quite as tasty as the grocery store chocolate most of us are used to. Still, my conscience made the chocolate taste much sweeter than it really was. As Cruthirds said, the economic impact for communities is destructive when purchasing from companies like Hershey’s, where farmers rarely see even 4 cents for every dollar of product sold. The benefits of purchasing Ten Thousand Villages products reach much further than purchasing traditional retail, Cruthirds said.

“When you’re shopping here, you’re doing something good — not like at a Walmart, where all your money is going to Bentonville, Ark.,” Cruthirds said.

— Contact Anna Molberg