Multicultural Center hopes new marketplace will create ‘commerce among cultures’
by Laura Haley
Contributing Writer
Jul 11, 2013 | 1793 views | 0 0 comments | 44 44 recommendations | email to a friend | print
The Moab Valley Multicultural Center (MVMC) is hoping to bring the community together on Saturday nights by hosting a new weekly marketplace at the center.

According to Megan DeMatteo, the volunteer coordinator for the center, the idea for the marketplace came about when the center purchased its property at 156 North 100 West earlier this year.

“We wanted to develop the property in a way that fit with our mission,” DeMatteo said.

The center’s mission is “promoting intercultural understanding and appreciation, and broadening opportunities for immigrants, indigenous groups, and other minorities through education, family support and community collaboration,” according to the MVMC website.

DeMatteo said center staff and board members felt creating a marketplace that would support a cultural exchange would help fulfill that mission.

“We want to encourage everyone from all walks of life to sell their wares,” she said.

In addition to providing a service to the community, DeMatteo said center staff is hoping that fees paid by marketplace vendors will help provide funding for other programs at the MVMC.

While the staff of the center hopes to encourage people to sell locally made products, the marketplace will also allow vendors to sell products from anywhere in the world, she said.

“We want to encourage people to sell things from all over,” DeMatteo said. She noted that Leticia Bentley, the MVMC outreach director, plans to sell jewelry crafted by women in Mexico who are survivors of domestic violence.

The center’s staff is also hoping to see a mix of both new and used items being sold at the market, DeMatteo said.

Rhiana Medina, executive director for the center, said MVMC is hoping to have the marketplace up and running by the end of July.

“We are going to try and do a self-service flea market,” she said. “In other words, we’ll post the guidelines and provide a drop box for vendor [information] and payments.”

Medina said the cost will be $10 for non-food vendors and $20 for food vendors.

“We will encourage non-English speaking vendors to ask for assistance learning about food handler and food service health guidelines as well as tax-paying procedures,” Medina said.

DeMatteo said the initial launch of the marketplace will be used as a trial run to help identify and work out any problems. However, she said if the launch goes well, the center will consider plans to further develop the property for the marketplace.

DeMatteo said the MVMC currently has a tent set up, but eventually the staff and board are hoping to turn the property into a plaza that serves as a center of commerce across cultures in Moab.

The current plan is for the marketplace to be held on Saturday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, contact the Moab Valley Multicultural Center at 435-259-5444.
Share This Article |

Copyright 2013 The Times-Independent. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

report abuse...

Express yourself:

We're glad to give readers a forum to express their points of view on issues important to this community. That forum is the “Letters to the Editor.” Letters to the editor may be submitted directly to The Times-Independent through this link and will be published in the print edition of the newspaper. All letters must be the original work of the letter writer – form letters will not be accepted. All letters must include the actual first and last name of the letter writer, the writer’s address, city and state and telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be accepted.

Letters may not exceed 400 words in length, must be regarding issues of general interest to the community, and may not include personal attacks, offensive language, ethnic or racial slurs, or attacks on personal or religious beliefs. Letters should focus on a single issue. Letters that proselytize or focus on theological debates will not be published. During political campaigns, The Times-Independent will not publish letters supporting or opposing any local candidate. Thank you letters are generally not accepted for publication unless the letter has a public purpose. Thank you letters dealing with private matters that compliment or complain about a business or individual will not be published. Nor will letters listing the names of individuals and/or businesses that supported a cause or event. Thank you letters about good Samaritan acts will be considered at the discretion of the newspaper.