Doreen Sawatzky has been the volunteer store manager at Ten Thousand Villages in Altona for close to 35 years.

Sawatzky started as a volunteer for the organization in 1984, and then worked as a volunteer manager for the store.

Ten Thousand Villages is a not-for-profit organization that has fair trade relationships with artists in developing countries. It supports craftspeople and food growers from around the world by selling their products.

Sawatzky explains how she became involved with the store.

"In 1984 we sold our business, the home entertainment store in Altona, and I guess somebody had the idea that 'Oh, she needs something to do now,'" said Sawatzky.

Back then it was called Self Help Crafts, and some volunteers asked Sawatzky if she'd like to help volunteer. The store used to be located in the MCC thrift store in Altona, and moved to its location in the mall 12 years ago.

Sawatzky said it was the volunteers and their enthusiasm that made her continue volunteering.

"The idea of working with so many different volunteers, it's always interesting to hear others' experiences. We had someone working there that had also been to other countries, so she could tell stories of how some of these products would have been made."

She added over the years products sold at the shop have changed, and are quite diverse and unique.

"You kind of wonder, how do these artisans come by these ideas? It has evolved into a very good gift shop," said Sawatzky.

Picking things to sell at the store is something she enjoys.

"One of the more interesting things of course is buying stuff, we used to go into Winnipeg to the warehouse there to choose and pick up stuff. When we went on computers we could do all of this online, so you sit back, look at all these pictures and try and decide which of these will sell in our area. Just beautiful crafts."

She noted the fair trade chocolate, coffee, and tea always sells well, along with the jewelry, scarves, and pottery. Sawatzky is also impressed with the way some artists repurpose materials. For example, the store sells planters made from recycled rubber tires.

The reason Sawatzky volunteered for over 30 years includes the help it provides others, and the people she gets to meet.

"I have everything I need or could possibly want, and those artisans over there, they are struggling. They're hoping to get enough income to get food for their family, to get education for their family," said Sawatzky. "It is a very interesting place to work, you meet so many people that come in and I can literally say from around the world...to volunteer there, you just meet the most interesting people."