Let’s imagine …

Someone in your family gives you

$100 to celebrate a special day.

Then, they offer

to take you to the mall.

(Of course, you agree to go.)

You walk in the door.

(Money’s burning a hole in your pocket.)

And, you look

at the directory of stores …

Where do you want to go?

STORE LIST BY

CATEGORY

Arts, Crafts, & Hobbies

• AnimationArt.com

• Build-A-Bear

Workshop

• Club Libby Lu

Athletic Wear

• abercrombie

• Abercrombie & Fitch

• aerie

• Aeropostale

• American Eagle

Outfitters

• BEBE Sport

• Champs Sports

• Cubs Clubhouse

Shop

• Finish Line

• Foot Locker

• Lady Foot Locker

• Lids

• NikeStore

• Oakley

• Puma

• Vans Triple Crown

Beauty & Health

• Aerie

• Bath & Body Works

• Body Shop

• Club Libby Lu

• Designer Perfume

• Lush Cosmetics

• MAC

• Perfumania

• Sephora

Children's Fashions

• abercrombie

• Club Libby Lu

• Cubs Clubhouse

Shop

• Disney Store

• GapKids

• Gymboree(r)

• H & M

• hanna Andersson

• Janie and Jack

• Lacoste

• Limited Too

• Lucky Brand

Children's Shoes

• Champs Sports

• Finish Line

• Foot Locker

• Gymboree(r)

• Payless ShoeSource

• Skechers

• Stride Rite

Department Stores

• JCPenney

• Lord & Taylor

• Macy's

• Nordstrom

• Sears

Electronics

• Apple Store

• Brookstone

• f.y.e.

• GameStop

• Radio Shack

• Ritz Camera

• Sony Style

Jewelry

• Brighton Collectibles

• Charlotte Russe

• Claire's Accessories

• The Coach Store

• Fossil

• So Good Jewelry

• Sterling Works

• Sunglass Hut/Watch

Station

• Swarovski

Toys

• Build-A-Bear

Workshop

• Disney Store

• GameStop

• Gymboree(r)

• KB Toys

• Sanrio Gift Gate

A lot of options

… and lots of stuff

Where did it come from?

Where was all this stuff

before it got to the store?

Now, take a moment to look

at the stuff in this room.

Find the “Made in _____” label.

How many different countries

can you find on these labels?

(Who found the one from farthest away?)

So, if people in other parts of the

world made some of this stuff …

How did it get here?

Most likely, it arrived in America

on a transoceanic container ship.

See those boxes? Each can

contain up to 61,289 lbs.!

Items made in another country

and shipped to the U.S.

are called imports.

Ocean-going vessels transport more than

90% of all imports to the United States.

Maritime commerce is the

exchange of goods and services

on water-borne vessels. (It makes our lives easier and more enjoyable.)

We have the latest phones, clothing,

sporting goods and makeup …

all thanks to maritime commerce.

And, take a look at this …

Coal-burning power plants generate

more than half of the electricity

used in the United States.

Coal

Other

Towboats traveling up and down the

nation’s river systems transport

around 20% of that coal.

=

That means the lights are on in

roughly 1/10 American homes

thanks to maritime commerce.

Working on our river systems,

inland river mariners transport

stuff like grain, iron, steel and

petroleum via towboats.

These towboats push multiple

barges, which form tows.

A typical tow consists of

15 barges, each of which

can efficiently carry up

to 1,500 tons of cargo.

There are other forms of

maritime commerce, too.

Offshore oil rig

workers spend long

periods of time in

remote and harsh

environments so

that we have fuel for

our cars and trucks.

Stevedores, longsho

remen and others

help load and

unload cargo to

vessels.

And men and

women of the

U.S. Coast

Guard ensure

that everyone

stays safe.

Meet the folks behind

maritime commerce.

You may not have thought of it

before, but they make a big

difference in our world.

These men and women do all

kinds of jobs to make maritime

commerce happen.

Folks in the maritime industry

encounter many dangers and

difficulties in their profession. Can you think of some dangerous

things about working on the water?

Men and women working in

maritime commerce spend a long

time away from family and friends. An international seafarer may work 9

months away from home, and an inland river mariner may work 28 days

without seeing his or her loved ones.

Have you ever been far from

home or to a strange place?

How did you feel?

The Seamen’s Church Institute

cares for mariners and maritime

workers around the world.(People call us SCI for short.)

SCI plays an important role in

maritime commerce, providing

mariners with the assistance they

need when far from home …

and acting as their friend when they need help.

SCI …

Provides services at our

Centers, such as

computers, telephones, TVs

and games.

When mariners need

someone to talk to, SCI

provides chaplains who listen.

SCI lawyers help

merchant

mariners, for free.

SCI trains mariners

on computer

simulators (much

like supersized video

games) to help them

learn new skills.

And at

Christmas, SCI

delivers handknit

holiday gifts with

cards made by kids.

Mariners need our support.

SCI relies on people like you to

remember mariners and to help us

meet their needs around the world.

What are ways you can help?

Learn more …

• On SCI’s website

seamenschurch.org.

• Like us on Facebook.

• Follow us on Twitter.

• See pics on Flickr &

• Watch vids on Vimeo.