Looking for ways to #takeaction? Welcome to the circle, friend.

There are so many ways you can serve the women of Thistle Farms, as well as help women and girls all over the world who are effected by trafficking and it's many realities. Nashville locals know that there are many volunteer opportunities during our busy seasons like Christmas, Mother's Day, the weeks leading up to our annual fundraiser/conference, and thistle picking season. There are also other creative ways to be involved all the time, from any location.

*Host a Thistle Farms home party. Anywhere!  Local to our campus in Nashville, or satellite parties anywhere in the world.  You will hear the stories of women from Thistle Farms, and share our healing products.  It's like a Tupperware of Pampered Chef party with a conscience. (Contact events@thistlefarms.org)

*Open a "Mini-Store" at your church, workplace, or faith community.  Open before or after weekly services or meetings, or quarterly during key gift giving times like Valentines Day, Mother's Day, back to school, Christmas. We'll guide you with ordering advice, point-of-sale items, and everything else you'll need to know to get your organization involved in this exciting new venture.  

*Come to an education/training day.  On the campus of Thistle Farms in Nashville. This is a day-long immersion program during which you will learn the nuts and bolts of how communities like ours work, as well as how to start a sister program in your area. (Contact kat@thistlefarms.org).

*Visit the Thistle Farms campus on a Tuesday or Wednesday.  8:45AM - 10AM.  Sit in on our morning meditation and get tour on your first visit.  (Reservations required, spaces limited).

*Become a social media advocate by following, friending, liking us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.  Sharing, reposting, commenting, and liking are important ways to further the #loveheals movement. Send us your Instagram photos. Post your own stories of healing and hope for women survivors.  Remember the hashtag: #loveheals

*Share the message in your home and business by purchasing our products at Thistle Farms in Nashville, any of our retailers, or thistlefarms.org.

*Go to thistle school.  During the late spring-mid summer thistles bloom in most areas of the United States and we use donated thistles in our handmade paper recipes.  Here is the link to thistle school, a quick tutorial on picking, drying and sending your thistles: 

WAYS TO HELP

Contact Jordan@ThistleFarms.orgn for questions regarding any of the opportunities below.

*Join us for Lunch & Learn Mondays.  Start off with lunch at the Thistle Stop Cafe at 11:45am, followed by a tour of the Thistle Farms campus at 12:45pm. Contact  courtney@thistlefarms.org for more information. Reservations required.

*Put together a Welcome Basket or Move-out Basket (or several!) for women who are entering or graduating from Magdalene. These baskets fall into the $40 dollar range.  Please make container useful, such as an under-bed storage box or laundry basket.  For Welcome Baskets, fill with things that would be useful to a woman who arrives at one of our residences with no belongings of her own (soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, antiperspirant, feminine hygiene products, magazines, healthy snacks, towel, washcloth, pillow...) For Move Out Baskets, fill with things that would be useful on the day when a women graduates from our residential program and moves into her own housing (healthy snacks, bottled water, picture hanging kits, cleaning products, paper products...)  All Baskets are different and reflect the kindness of each giver.  Gift cards to Target or Wal-Mart can also be donated and earmarked for Baskets.  

*Become a regular at the Thistle Stop Cafe.  This is one of the most effective ways for Nashville locals and visitors to take action.  You tangibly support the women who work at the cafe, while enjoying beautiful teas, coffees, and delectable food items in our nationally recognized cafe.  Everybody wins! 

*Visit the Thistle Stop Cafe and write a favorable Urbanspoon or Yelp review.

*Become a supporter of Thistle Farms Global and link women globally through sharing the work of our shared trade partners.

*Host a tea party in your community and serve Justice Tea, grown and produced by women survivors. Take photos and send them to us to be featured on our blog and social media outlets. 

*Donate Target or Wal-Mart cards in $25, $50 or $100 increments for residential necessities. 

*Do a T-Shirt Harvest.  Collect 100% cotton t-shirts in the days and weeks prior to a visit to Thistle Farms.  Bring those t-shirts (washed twice without detergent) with you when you visit, and we will sit together in a circle and cut them up to be used in our handmade rag paper recipe.  Some of our paper products can be found here:  http://thistlefarms.org/collections/studios-of-thistle-farms-1

* After your T-Shirt Harvest, go to T-Shirt School!  

*Do you live in Nashville and own a truck?  We occasionally have a need for someone to help load and transport items for our residences or graduate homes.

*Group visits and volunteer actions:  Since our on-campus workspace is limited, we have several hybrid opportunities for groups including t-shirt harvests, thistle picking, and providing lunch for a department at Thistle Farms.  These projects can be started at your location in the days and weeks prior to your visit, and finished at Thistle Farms.

*All volunteer opportunities for the upcoming week will be listed on Twitter each Friday.  Watch your own Twitter feed for Friday volunteer listings, or view our Twitter feed (HERE) 

*Read our Volunteer Handbook for further info and guidelines: https://www.facebook.com/notes/thistle-farms/thistle-farms-volunteer-handbook/10152834379081867