Here are some of our favorite websites:
Fair Trade Sites...
www.tenthousandvillages.com -- Fair trade gifts from around the world.*
www.novica.com -- Another international fair trade organization. Associated with National Geographic.*
www.oneworldprojects.com -- Another one of our fair trade suppliers. One World Projects strives to reduce poverty, restore balance in nature, and promote peace by giving artisans around the world a chance to earn fair wages and improve their lives and communities.*
* If you find items you like on these 3 fair-trade sites, please let us order them for you... you won't have to pay shipping & you'll be supporting a local business!
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Local Businesses & Organizations...
www.Inner-Wilderness.com -- The Inner Wilderness Institute is a nature-based counseling institute in the central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
www.stauntongreen2020.org -- Staunton Green 2020 is a non-partisan citizens coalition devoted to green jobs and clean energy for all, to help Staunton become a model city for its beauty, humanity, and economic and environmental sustainability.
www.valleymarket.org -- The Valley Market is a new natural food co-op in the Shenandoah Valley emphasizing locally grown & produced food & products. It is currently in the development stages & is seeking members.
www.shantiom.com -- Located in downtown Staunton, Shanti is an intimate retail space offering high quality, unusual, exotic, & sacred products from around the world They have a wonderful studio upstairs & have a variety of yoga & meditation classes throughout the week.
www.meditationinmotionmassage.com -- Website of certified massage therapist & Reiki master Gerry Stowers. Gerry specializes in Shiatsu, Swedish, & Deep Tissue Massage, plus Reflexology, CranioSacral Therapy, & Reiki... and you can try her out at The Sacred Circle! (see announcements page)
www.damnfinecoffee.net -- Website of The Lexington Coffee Shop (Lexington, VA) & Blue Mountain Coffees (Staunton, VA)... two awesome coffee shops here in the Shen Valley!
www.georgebowersgrocery.com -- Incredible new local grocery store & deli located at 614 W Beverley St in Staunton.
www.bajabean.com -- "Since 1989, Baja Bean Co. has taken pride in servicing only the freshest products. We take all the necessary steps to ensure good, quality, healthy, Southern California style Mexican foods." Great food & great live music! Located at 9 West Beverley St in downtown Staunton.
http://stauntonfund.com/default.aspx -- The Staunton Creative Community Fund is a Staunton-based agency which serves local individuals, organizations, and communities, with a focus on creating and strengthening entrepreneurial opportunities for low income individuals and low income communities. SCCF seeks to strengthen socially equitable, environmentally sound, and economically viable enterprises through finance and development.
www.mbc.edu -- Mary Baldwin College, Staunton's private four-year women’s liberal arts college founded in 1842 with coeducational graduate and adult degree programs.
www.americanshakespearecenter.com -- The American Shakespeare Center recovers the joys and accessibility of Shakespeare's theatre, language, and humanity by exploring the English Renaissance stage and its practices through performance and education. Features the Blackfriar's Playhouse, a re-creation of Shakespeare's original indoor theatre, located in downtown Staunton.
http://bgi-growingcenter.wikidot.com/ -- The Belle Grae Growing Center is a city block near downtown Staunton where pathways and footbridges interconnect to create a vibrant, eco-friendly community of edible gardens and twelve Victorian (historic) properties offering: health-promoting cuisine, lodging and meeting rooms, natural health practitioners, and education in the healing arts and sustainable living practices.
www.safarmersmarket.com -- Staunton's awesome Farmer's Market, 7am - noon on Saturdays from April through November! You'll find locally grown & produced foods, plants, crafts, & more!
http://www.greenright.org/greenright.html -- GreenRight's mission is to promote greater environmental quality for all by advancing the practice of green living for the underserved.
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Local Authors, Artists, & Musicians...
Deb Booth: artist, photographer, and author. www.differentlightstudio.com
Erik Curren: author of The Buddha's Not Smiling. www.ErikCurren.com
Clifford Garstang: author of In an Uncharted Country. www.CliffordGarstang.com
Caleb Grimes: author of Star Wars Jesus. www.StarWarsJesus.com
Duane Hahn: author of Shenandoah Moon. www.hahn-arts.com
Ed Huffstetler: author of Kunstler and the Terrible Monster. www.rockpublishing.com/Kunstler.htm
S. Paul Klein: author of Accidents of Place and Time. www.freewebs.com/spaulklein/aboutmybook.htm
Barbara Martin: jazz/blues musician, vocalist and songwriter. www.barbaramartinmusic.com
Nathan Moore: folk singer/songwriter. www.nathanmoore.org
Rhythm Road: band with "a mix of original tunes, folk, blues, & popular music with a traditional flavor and contemporary twist". www.rhythmrd.com
Logan Ward: author of See You in a Hundred Years. www.LoganWard.com
Lisa Solod Warren: Author of Desire: Women Write About Wanting. www.LisaSolodWarren.com
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Religion / Spirituality...
www.beliefnet.com -- Dedicated to helping people "find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness." Resources include articles, quizzes, devotionals, sacred text searches, message boards, prayer circles, & photo galleries.
www.religioustolerance.org -- Dedicated to promoting religious tolerance, freedom, & understanding.
www.centerforreligioustolerance.org -- Center for Religious Tolerance, a not-for-profit organization created to promote peace and harmony through dialogue among the world’s religions and through spiritually based interfaith activities.
www.buddhanet.net -- BuddhaNet, The Worldwide Buddhist Information and Education Network.
www.quakerinfo.org -- The Quaker Information Center, a gateway to Quaker heritage and to modern Quakerism in Philadelphia and worldwide.
www.sojo.net -- Sojourners, a progressive Christian commentary on faith, politics and culture. It seeks to build a movement of spirituality and social change.
www.uua.org -- Unitarian Universalism, a liberal religious tradition, encourages us to keep open minds, believing that personal experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities in religion.
www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org -- The Virginia Interfaith Center is a nonpartisan coalition of faith communities working to create change through education and public policy.
mertonandfriends.wordpress.com -- Cool blog about Thomas Merton & "friends".
www.worldprayers.org -- An incredible site with beautiful prayers from all the world's great traditions. "The objective of this website is to gather the great prayers written by the spiritual visionaries of our planet into an online database representing all life affirming traditions."
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Environment / Conservation...
http://www.stauntongreen2020.org/ -- Staunton Green 2020 is a non-partisan citizens coalition devoted to green jobs and clean energy for all, to help Staunton become a model city for its beauty, humanity, and economic and environmental sustainability.
www.vipl.org -- Virginia Interfaith Power & Light (VIPL) is a non-profit initiative working for a more just, sustainable and healthier creation by reducing the global warming. It is a part of a network of Interfaith Power and Light programs across the country and offers concrete opportunities for congregations and individuals to protect creation.
www.theregenerationproject.org -- An interfaith ministry devoted to deepening the connection between ecology and faith with the goal of helping people of faith recognize and fulfill their responsibility for the stewardship of creation.
www.valleyconservation.org -- Valley Conservation Council, promotes land use that sustains the farms, forests, open spaces, and cultural heritage of the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.
virginia.sierraclub.org/shenandoah -- Local Sierra Club group of the Shenandoah Valley. The Sierra Club is an environmental/conservation focused organization.
www.nature.org -- The Nature Conservancy, seeks to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.
http://www.greenright.org/greenright.html -- GreenRight's mission is to promote greater environmental quality for all by advancing the practice of green living for the underserved.
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Social Justice / Human Rights...
www.amnesty.org -- Amnesty International, a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all.
www.bread.org -- Bread for the World, a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.
www.americorps.org -- Americorps, a domestic volunteer organization.
www.peacecorps.gov -- Peace Corps, an international volunteer organization.
www.habitat.org -- Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization building simple, decent, affordable housing in partnership with people in need.
http://www.savetibet.org/ -- The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) works to promote human rights and democratic freedoms for the people of Tibet.
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Animal Rights...
www.worldwildlife.org -- World Wildlife Fund, The largest multinational conservation organization in the world, combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.
www.peta.org -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), with more than 2.0 million members and supporters, is the largest animal rights organization in the world.
www.awionline.org -- Animal Welfare Institute, a non-profit, charitable organization working to reduce the sum total of pain & fear inflicted upon animals by humans.
www.aspca.org -- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
www.pawsweb.org -- Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), dedicated to the protection of performing animals, to providing sanctuary to abused, abandoned and retired captive wildlife, to enforcing the best standards of care for all captive wildlife, to the preservation of wild species and their habitat and to promoting public education about captive wildlife issues.
www.chooseveg.com -- A guide to vegetarian and vegan living.
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** Want your website added to our Links page? Just send an email to thesacredcircle@live.com & let us know! **
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