A good conscience is a continual Christmas. –Ralph Waldo Emerson
We’re reaching the end of the line now, folks. At this point it’s too late to order gifts over the internet without paying shipping fees that cost more than the items themselves. Stores are packed with people and sadly short of desirable presents. You’ve got basically three choices now: the Macy’s slippers in the ripped box, the boring “Tractor-a-day” calendar that no one else wanted, or you can look behind door number three; my door, the right choice.
A few months ago I was reading National Geographic’s and came across some disturbing news. Because Haiti is now so impoverished that many cannot afford to even buy rice, people have started eating baked cakes made of clay, salt and lard, in order to stave off hunger pains. After I got over my initial reaction of “Whoa, I wonder what those taste like and whether you can buy any online” (you can’t, by the way), the full impact of what I’d just read hit me. There are people, right now, who are so hungry that they are eating dirt just to keep from feeling the burning emptiness in their stomachs.
I don’t tell you this because I want to get you good and depressed for Christmas. I tell you this because, if you’re out there searching in vain for a gift to give someone who already has more than they need, I’d like you to consider an alternative: Charity.
Mwahahaha, now you see how my evil plan has come full circle!
This time of year it is exceptionally easy to track down charity organizations accepting donations in your area. Large book stores, like Barnes and Noble, usually begin book drives shortly after Thanksgiving and often take donations until Christmas Eve. Most grocery stores have those big cardboard food donation tubs by their exits, and many local Colleges and Universities host non-profits, like Toys for Tots, around the holidays. My method, when giving a donation in someone’s name, is to buy some festive cards (or small boxes of candy), and in them write what was donated and to whom. That way there’s still something to open on Christmas day.
Don’t have the time or desire to brave the winter weather in search of book, toy, clothing or food drives? Lela’s got your back:
Gifts that give more – This is a part of a larger online store called Greatergood.com, which sells beautiful, fair-trade merchandise. Gifts that give more, however, is strictly for those choosing to give a donation as a gift. And they’d be hard pressed not to find one they liked on here. This website includes an enormous range of important causes, covering all the basics: food for the hungry; shelter for the homeless; medical care; help for abandoned, orphaned, or wild animals; preservation of the rainforest; educational programs for the needy; this place had got it all! What I like best about this website is that it pre-packages it’s donations into nice, neat items. For example, you can add “feed a Haitian student for a year” to your cart for $50.00. For $20.00 you can buy a stove for a refugee in Darfur, and for a mere $10.00 you can provide vaccinations for 5 children in Burma. Gifts that Give More also generously emails pretty certificates confirming your purchase, so no one can accuse you of donating to “The Human Fund”.
Heifer International – An extremely famous, and inspiring donation-as-gift website, Heifer International also offers pre-packaged donations. Through Heifer International, you can donate flocks of chicks, hives of bees, tree seedlings, goats, llamas, cows and much more to struggling families in need of food and an income. And the prices are very reasonable. A donation of an entire flock of ducks is a mere $20.00. That’s a lot of duck for your buck! After making your donation, you will have the option of downloading a pretty gift card to email or print out so you have something to give your friend or loved one.
MicroPlace – “Invest wisely. End poverty” Know someone who’s really into business? Or playing the stock market? This is the perfect gift for them. Microplace let’s you choose the social (how much are they starting with?), financial (how quickly do you get the money back?) and geographical (where in the world do you want to invest?) details of the type of business you’d like to invest in, and let’s you invest ($20.00 minimum) in a business that meets your criteria. It’s a good cause, and you (or your gift recipient) could end up getting more back that you originally gave!
Carbon offsetting – I realize this isn’t exactly donating to charity, but I think it would be a pretty cool gift to give someone. “Merry Christmas! You can be at peace, knowing that no driving, or flying you did in 2007 has had any effect on the air quality of this planet. You are carbon neutral!” Doesn’t that sound cool? If you think I’m not crazy, here is a link with a quick, easy carbon calculator to help you figure out just how much a year’s, month’s, week’s, etc. worth of carbon offsetting would be and here is a list of places from which to purchase carbon offsets. Terrapass is my favorite because they use the methane they burn, as fuel. They sell carbon offsets at $13.12 per ton. Carbon Fund is also nice and easy too, and it’s a little cheaper at $20.00 for two tons.
So you put off shopping to the last minute, that doesn’t mean you’re too late to grab the good gifts. You still have the opportunity to give the most wonderful gift of all: Hope to those in need, and joy to those you love. I guarantee that your loved one will be deeply touched and grateful when reading that they’ve donated a hat and scarf to a homeless child; as opposed to the reaction you’ll receive when you give them that smelly, Christmas candle, with the fingernail scratches in it, that you found on the back of the shelf at Walmart. Trust me.
I wish you a happy holiday season, filled with warmth, generosity, and peace.