One look at my kid’s squinched up, screaming little face after he was born, and I knew this world had to be a better place than it has been. PRONTO. I had WORK TO DO. Because I knew what I wanted for my son, and some of what goes on around here is not it. There needed to be a lot more love, a lot more people helping people, and way more reaching out. A lot less hunger, a lot less ignorance, and a lot less pain. Wouldn’t you love it if you could give that as a gift?
Alternative gifts are gifts that literally change the world. You can choose from dozens of ways to spend whatever amount is at your disposal that will help families feed themselves all year, improve our ecology, further the study of science, and more. All without a single gram of unnecessary STUFF coming into anyone’s home.The secret to doing this in the spirit of “the thought that counts” is to think about what the recipient would be glad to know you’ve done, and choose accordingly.
Still want something under the tree? (Of course you do! Me too!) Have fun with it!
Buy a gift of trees, and create a tree paper chain for the recipient, or a little set of these cute felt trees. Sponsor a child and make a doll. Or give food security and a loaf of home-made bread. Support farmers in the developing world, and give a homemade chili kit. Gifting a pet owner? Donate to Pasado’s and make a jar of dog biscuits or plant a pot of catnip.
To find an alternative gift suitable for everyone on your list, visit the Alternative Gifts International website for a compendium of available alternative gifts. They allow organizations to register their alternative gifts, so you can find them all in one stop.
Popular among our Joy Makin’ families are the Heifer Project and World Wildlife Fund. For the animal lover in your life, please consider a donation to Pasado’s Safe Haven. I first learned of Pasado’s when they sent volunteers to rescue dogs and cats from New Orlean’s after Hurricane Katrina. Any organization that will organize people to give up their vacation time to go rescue animals left behind after a natural disaster and reunite them with their families is sure to be on Santa’s Good List.
Also, this website is a good one, for the environmentally conscious recipient on your list: https://www.carbonfund.org For those who want an organization with a religious affiliation, WorldVision offers alternative and fair trade gifts and a Christian mission.
Not a gift per se, but an investment in the future, Kiva offers a service that connects you to recipients so you can make micro loans. Funds are needed for every kind of enterprise imaginable, and when the recipient pays it back, you can loan the money again, and keep using it to do good. Please consider joining the Becky’s Hugs lending team, started by friends of mine in memory of their daughter.
Have you got a great alternative gift source I missed? Put it down there in the comments!
http://t.co/Anj4GM3Mha Do you know what I mean if I say, “alternative gifts?”
Thank your for this reminder of giving back.