Get Involved
There are a number of ways you can get involved and help Reaching Out. Every contribution directly helps the lives of the differently abled craftspeople we work with.
"Do you need a new handbag?"
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Buy our crafts.
Support our artisans directly by purchasing their products. What could be easier than shopping for a good cause? Purchases can be made in our Hoi An shop, or orders can be made by using our online catalogue.
2. Visit our shop and workshop.
See the full array of our crafts first-hand, and find out for yourself how they are made. Meet our artisans in the workshop, and learn more about what Reaching Out means to them. Here you can find our address and a map to our store.
3. Join with us in new Retail Partnerships.
At the moment we have some retail partners overseas, and we always welcome new retail opportunities. Interested retailers should contact us to ask for further details and look in our online catalogue to see our products.
Our volunteer Esther with Cuong.
4. Tell a friend.
Talking about Reaching Out with friends, family and co- workers makes a big difference. Help us get the word out so that more customers have the chance to buy beautiful fairly traded crafts and more other-abled artisans have the opportunity to earn a sustainable income.
5. Volunteer
Volunteers have helped us design web pages and brochures, develop new products, train our staff in English, create our online catalogue, and more. If you are interested in volunteering in Hoi An, or virtually over the internet, please contact us.
6. Sponsor a trainee
Give a young person the possibility
to get a self-reliant life.
We have a waiting list of local people with disAbilities who would like to come to Reaching Out to be trained in crafts such as embroidery, weaving, sewing, metal work or paper craft. The cost of a traineeship is approximately 60 USD a month (including lunch and accommodation allowance) for a period of 2-5 months, depending on the craft. After this time the trainee will then have the option to continue working at Reaching Out Arts & Crafts or, with our help, seek employment related to their learned skill in the Hoi An area. Sponsors will receive a photograph and regular progress reports on their trainee.
If you are interested in sponsoring traineeships, please contact us for more information.
7. Share new design ideas.
We are always looking for new design and craft ideas. If you have feedback on existing products or new creative ideas, please share them with us! There are many ways to share: you can email us written descriptions, sketches, photos of products or designs, or links to websites or catalogues; you can mail us a print catalogue, CD catalogue or even a product sample; you can arrange a webcam session with us (via email) to discuss your ideas (just contact us); or you can visit us in our Hoi An store.
If you have a handicraft book or magazine that might be a good inspiration or gives ideas for new products, it would be very helpful for our artisans if you could send a copy to us. Our artisans are always keen to learn new things and create new designs and products.
We want to give everybody an opportunity
to discover their talents and abilities.
8. Bring your tour group to visit us.
We welcome tour groups in our store and workshop. To learn more, please visit our tour page.
9. Send letters to editors of tour guide books or submit articles for publication.
You could write an article for your university or local newspaper to tell your community about Reaching Out. We can provide you with quotes, background material and access to credible experts on employment for people with different abilities in Vietnam . Your letters to guide book publishers can help us attract more tourists to our shop and workshop.
10. Be a connection between us and other artisans
If you know other Vietnamese artisans or people with different abilities, who would like to work together with Reaching Out, please email us. We would be glad to support more people and to build a relationship network with other artisans all over Vietnam.
11. Be a connection between us and future partners
We are looking for companies who practice a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) policy or travel agencies who are involved with responsible travel. Please see also our current corporate partners who work together with us. If you know any other company or travel agency who might be interested in Reaching Out and our products, please contact us.