Our Mission

Unique Finds Gifts was founded by Dr. Robert A. Southard, and is based in Overland Park, Kansas.

Our goal is to create new streams of income for people living in poverty and for Christian ministry and missionary efforts through global trade of products. We wish to promote:

• Economic Development especially for the poorest, helping balance the playing field.
• Global Mission Education/Awareness especially through Christian Missionaries and their ministries and partnerships.
• Missions Support for Christian churches, Individuals and Mission efforts around the world.  Many of the prices in our store include support to a Christian ministry organization or missionary as well as an artisan.
• Fair Trade means artisans and producers of products sell them at a price that allows them to  sustain a reasonable standard of living if they were to make the product on a full time basis in their location. Purchasing fairly traded goods helps provide a livable wage for the artisans, producers, and farmers who need it most.

We sell goods in our store in Overland Park, Kansas, and at on-site sales within a 400-mile radius.

Consider letting us ship you items for you to sell at your special event.

Contact Robert Southard at uniquefindsministry@gmail.com or call 913-209-2251 or 913-642-2468 for more details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are You An American Baptist Non-Profit?

No. Because there seems to be no ABC entity able to invest resources in this right now and to simplify decision making and new project development, Unique Finds is organized as an LLC owned by Dr. Robert A. Southard, a retired ABC pastor. It is strongly related to and sells products of American Baptist related organizations and churches in an attempt to create streams of income for American Baptist related mission efforts. Some products for sale on this site come from artisans on the mission fields who will get fair wages for their efforts. Other products are from various ABC institutions who will hopefully profit financially and in publicity about their institutions. Also, donations will be made to ABC ministries out of the proceeds of these products. We are committed to using this to undergird Christian ministries globally.

Can I have my mission’s merchandise for sale at your st0re?

Very likely. We build agreements with church groups, Christian institutions and individuals as well as businesses to sell their products to promote Christ’s ministry. If you need another stream of income besides donations for your Christian mission let’s talk about selling products available for sale related to you ministry. We hope to promote your cause (Christ’s mission) by selling your products.

Can I have a sale of selected products at my church? (Unique Gifts ships it, our local church sells it.)

Our inventory is growing and we are now able to ship some products to you for special events. If you wanted an educational theme party we have products from Russian Missions, Congo with Missionary Wendy Bernhard or Burmese Refugee resettlement related to Missionaries Duane and Marcia Binkley. We could ship products from one missionary or many. Also, we could contact missionaries and see about arranging to send you products from some mission field where we do not yet have products. Whatever your event, please plan to pay shipping or arrange to get items to sell through mutual friend networks or by picking them up at the store, 7140 W 80th St, Overland Park KS 66204. Most likely products would be centered in Kansas City. Feel free to ask by emailing uniquefindsministry@gmail.com.

Can I have you come do a show at my event?

We can do shows at larger events. The more lead time the better. Email your request to uniquefindsministry@gmail.com.

Who owns this business?

Rev. Robert Southard, D. Min., retired pastor, owns Unique Finds. In 2001 he began serving an inner city pastorate where he found that a second stream of income for individuals in deep poverty could help meet their basic needs,strengthen the church’s ministry and generally stimulate the economic environment. Also before this as a youth minister for 23 years, he took youth on mission trips and saw missionaries working closely with the world’s most severe poverty. Out of these experiences, this new ministry was born. Some of his claims to fame…he has served as Moderator for the East Central Area of the American Baptist Churches of the Central Region, ABCUSA, the American Baptist Churches of the Central Region Board of Directors and the Bethel Neighborhood Center Board of Directors. He has been president of Ottawa University’s and Central Baptist Theological Seminary’s Alumnae/i Associations. But Bob considers his top honors to be he has been nominated repeatedly by elementary students as “Kindest Kansas Citian.”