This year one of my sisters suggested donations in liue of or as part of our Christmas giving, a nice tradition to start, I think. It seems that this idea is buzzing around in many people's heads:
Did any of you watch that video and whine quietly in your heart, "But I like giving gifts- does that make me so bad?" It's okay to raise your hand, you're among friends here.
Oh, Christmas, how I guiltily love you. Some of us in the world are gift-givers. Presents are our way of saying, "I love you." So giving a card that says "I gave money to someone else, not you, but for you...kinda" or "Here's a picture of a water-buffalo named after you" doesn't quite capture the evocative natures of the perfectly chosen gift.
I think I've found a solution that works for me (and perhaps other natural-gift-givers out there). I've been pairing up donation with symbolic ornament (okay, I admit it, and sometimes a present, too). So then there's something to open or put on your tree and a gift that gives to others.
Donations to environmental groups work out great because you can find fish and bear and tree ornaments out the wazoo. Of course, this pairing of ornament and donation doesn't work as easily for humanitarian organizations because, oddly enough, there aren't a lot of ornaments of starving children in Africa. In that case I've been erring on the side of ornaments from that country instead of ornaments depitciting what I am donating for.
In any case, for those of you who need some convincing and for the heroic among you who don't, here are some links for charitable gift-giving so you can begin your own little Advent Conspiracy:
Pair some gardening supplies or flower bulbs and a gift of seeds through World Vision for your favorite gardener.
Give some yummy cheese and a water buffalo (or just a leg) from Heifer International to your favorite cook.
Through Ten Thousand Villages you can give school supplies to international children in honor of your child's teacher.
Adopt a Polar bear at the World Wildlife Fund and give your niece a cute stuffed bear.
Help those in disaster areas and extreme poverty with Catholic Relief Services. Give that to your Dad who doesn't want anything, anyway.
I'm a big fan of micro loans, a single donation that can be given away again and again.
Here's and article on Micro loans and you can start today at Kiva.org or Namaste-Direct
For those of you who feel more locally oriented, you can find links to your local Catholic Charitable Organizations here and here.
I hope this gets you started.
Happy Conspiring!
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