‘Tis the season to go shopping. Why not make your money really count with a gift that can help save and even transform a life? After all, how many socks and fruitcakes does anyone really need?
But a malaria net can save lives, especially in Africa, where countless children die needlessly just because they have no net over their bed to protect them from mosquitos who carry malaria. Donate a net, save a life, at:
http://www.nothingbutnets.net/
Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, he can feed himself for life. With heifer.org gifts, a family will receive an animal, tree, beehives and other items that can help support themselves and even the community. For example, the Hope Basket gives them a starter kit of rabbits, chickens, and a rooster, for meat and eggs which can be eaten by the family, or sold to others.
These animals can also multiply quickly, and the lucky family will gift the first offspring to another lucky family. All of the breeds are local to the area and veterinary care and support is given as well.
http://www.heifer.org/gift-catalog/entire-catalog.html
If you are vegetarian or vegan and don’t like the idea of animals being used in that manner, a gift of trees can help create sustainable farming conditions by preventing soil erosion and enriching the soil.
http://www.heifer.org/gift-catalog/sustainable-farming/index.html
Heifer’s catalog is full of great ideas, and these gifts are perfect for any occasion, including birthdays and even as a memorial if you don’t want to send flowers. They also have free gift cards at the site, so don’t forget to print out your card or send an email to the recipient to tell them all about their gift.
At Hendrick Boards, all of their profits go towards helping animals in need. A simple tee-shirt or hoodie can save a life: http://hendrickboards.com/ If you are buying cool new fashions for the kids anyway, just think how far your money can go.
Finally, we like to support Mercy Corps because they do work in both the United States and overseas. There is still a great deal of poverty in the US and their work helps stop people slipping through the cracks. http://www.mercycorps.org/ They are one of the highest rated charities in terms of the work they do and how their funds are administered, with only a low percentage going to running the charity and all the rest going to help people in real need.
They also support overseas projects and initiatives and disaster relief. If you are concerned about the survivors of the super storms that have hit Asia recently, NOW is the time to help.
So since you are shopping anyway, try to shop in a meaningful way. And if you do need to find a great gift for a colleague, person in the community, or person who has everything, consider giving a malaria net or gift from the heifer catalog. It will certainly stand out, and really gets people thinking and talking.
