Many of you may be wondering what to get the person who has everything and needs almost nothing this time of year.
Ever thought about the person in the opposite situation?
My mom asked for a donation made to Heifer International in her name this year, instead of acquiring more stuff (and those of you who know my parents know that they already have nice stuff and no shortage of it). I thought that was an excellent idea, so this year, instead of opera tickets or stuff for their various residences or gift certificates of any kind, we got her a llama. She won’t have to feed it, groom it or clean up after it, but someone else surely will be glad to.
I personally would much rather see something like this addressed to our department at work rather than the usual annual competition to see who can get the most (meaningless, yet ubiquitous) Christmas cards from our suppliers.
Here’s a blurb about the organization lifted directly from that e-Card that went out to my mom:
Heifer International is a nonprofit that alleviates hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation through gifts of food and income producing farm animals and training. These animals provide a source of protein, such as eggs and milk, for children and generate income for families through the sale of animal products. Since 1944 Heifer has helped over 4 million families in 125 countries become self-reliant. Each family “passes on the gift” by giving one or more of its animal’s offspring to another family in need.
I really like the renewability built in at multiple levels — recipients get a gift that keeps on giving to them and others and in turn. You don’t have to spend much at all. You can provide a family with a flock of geese for $20, or pool your resources with other donors by contributing toward the cost of a larger purchase like a heifer (hence the name), a goat, or a water buffalo. This feels good.