My family decided to try something different this holiday

[Sarah Ibarruri]

Since Republicans have nearly destroyed our country, many people are suffering like never before. There's more hunger everywhere in the U.S., sick people without health care, living in their car, people who have lost it all, their jobs, their homes or rentals, their everything.

As a result, my nephew decided it would be a wonderful idea to do this:

With the exception of toys for the kids (kids expect to get toys of course!), our gifts to one another will consist of the giver donating to a charity of the receiver's choice. Does that make any sense at all? For example, I researched charities and decided I like the mission of Meals on Wheels. Okay, so everyone in my family who was going to give a gifts, will instead give that $$ to that charity, and those donations will be my gifts.

If anyone is interested in doing that, I noticed that the Better Business Bureau has a list of accredited charities. Here's the link. It's towards the bottom of the page in a blue square titled "Resource Library" then "BBB Accredited Charity Directory"

http://us.bbb.org/WWWRoot/SitePage.aspx?site=113&id=4ef08b14-37cb-4974-a385-7f41f63b16b0

[jwirr]

1. Very good idea. My family always gives to the Salvation Army which

gives food baskets and gifts to children in our community. They have giving trees with the the first name of a child and stats such as age and what the child is wishing for. Also mitten trees. I also try to give to Heifer and KIVA at this time of year.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. That's awesome jwirr! Thanks for sharing it. nt

[kestrel91316]

6. Heifer International is a very worthy cause.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

12. I looked at it. Sounds fantastic nt

[Dystopian]

17. Very...

We brought our preschoolers there for a field trip about 10 years ago....
This one:
http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.201558/#
It was beautiful.....
Thank you for suggesting it...and for the wonderful memory...

peace~

[rufus dog]

2. good idea

Think I will take the family somewhere on Christmas Day to work and give out some toys.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. Beautiful! nt

[PearliePoo2]

5. We did that one year and I'm likely to do the same this year.

Instead of buying presents, we gave a donation to a local wildlife rehabilitation group that tends to injured critters. (eagles, deer, songbirds, otters, marine mammals, etc.)
We also donated to the animal shelter that cares for dogs and cats.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

9. That's totally awesome. I'm so glad we'll be doing something of great significance this year too

Thanks for sharing here what you do.

[gratuitous]

7. Heifer International

Just a suggestion.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

10. I just looked it up. Beautiful charity! I'll share it with my family members in case any of them..

wish to select that one as theirs.

[orleans]

8. i did that last year--and i bought the recipient of my donation gift

a book connected with whatever the donation was.

there is an organization that has a catalog and you can pick the charity you want to donate to and the organization sends you a little "gift" card that says "a donation has been made in your honor" and has a paragraph description of the charity. it's very cool--and i'm going crazy trying to remember the name of the organization now.

I GOT IT:

ALTERNATIVE GIFTS INTERNATIONAL
http://www.altgifts.org/

The global mission of AGI is to send authentic, life-giving gifts to a needy world--gifts that build a partnership with people in crisis and that protect and preserve the earth's endangered environment--to nourish and sustain a more equitable and peaceful global community.
AGI is a nonprofit, interfaith agency. AGI provides education for people of all ages about global needs and raises funds each year in its Alternative Gift Markets and from individual donors to respond to those needs. Designated grants then are sent to the established international projects of several reputable nonprofit agencies for relief and development.

Ordering is simple:


Choose one (or several) gifts from the projects featured in the My Shopping List for the World catalog.

Select a gift card for your honoree, if you wish and tell us what you want it to say. (Don't forget to provide their address!)

AGI will mail the card to your honoree with an insert describing your gift.

You will receive a receipt indicating the tax-deductible portion.

Select an alternative gift from 38 life-sustaining,
worldwide projects to honor family and friends

For the cost of a hair cut:
Buy one children's book shared by hundreds in a year in Mexico. More...

For the cost of a CD player:
Provide one day in-hospital stay for one patient in Egypt. More...

For the cost of a 30 minutes massage:
Buy one share of environmental solution in Haiti. More...

For the cost of an iPod video:
Provide education for one child for one year. More...

actually i've done this for several years.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

11. WOW! I'm going to suggest that one to my family members also

It's amazing how many people out there have been doing this for years! Thanks for the good idea.

[TankLV]

13. Tofurkey?!?!

It's not JUST for holidays anymore!

[Libertyfirst]

14. I give to charities who feed people.

And send a note to family and friends (other than the kids) and tell them that because I love them, I am doing what love does (as Robert Kennedy said) "makes gentle the life of the world" by caring for people. I also do it adult birthdays, anniversaries,etc.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

23. That's what I like - at least put something nutritious in the tummies of the hungry nt

[jules1962]

27. You can go to charity watch

and they will tell you which charities are considered the best to give to. In other words,which ones have low overhead and actually put the money to the use it was intended. Great idea.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

28. Wow, that's also a great idea! nt

[VPStoltz]

15. Since mom went into the nursing home...

She had no savings (had to pass it along to me to get help),we were not well off enough to get her assisted living.
She shares a room - shares a room - the size of a large bedroom with another person.
There is no room for anything so we don't exchange gift per se.
There is a store in her town that prepares shopping bags full of food and sells them for discount as a charity.
I buy one every time I go into the store when I visit mumsy.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

22. That's beautiful. Doing whatever we can is a giant help nt

[Kazak]

16. A donation has been made in your honor to the Human Fund.

Marry Festivus?

[Hekate]

18. I'm doing it this holiday season. Instead of toys for her 4 y.o., my daughter asked for a Zoo pass

... for the family, so we just gave that for his birthday. She likes to take him to the Natural History Museum too, so that will probably be their family gift at Christmas/Hanukkah.

My son started it last year, and this year I have a stack of potential charities to suggest, including Heifer International, SEE, Smile Train, Direct Relief International, and Planned Parenthood. Food Bank is closest to home, and this year the need is great.

I love this idea. God knows Mr. H and I have all we need, and thank God our grown kids do too. How great to be in a position to do this.

Hekate

[Sarah Ibarruri]

21. Great idea! nt

[silverojo]

19. Why am I the only one who's K&R'ed this so far?

It's an excellent idea!

[Sarah Ibarruri]

20. Yep. Maybe we should post this again so more people can read it and do this for the needy?

People in this country are suffering so much. Not just here tho. Everywhere. All we waste on Christmas, surely some of this could go towards helping someone who is starving somewhere.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

25. I reposted it here.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4466971&mesg_id=4466971

Maybe you could K & R it so more people can read it and change their tradition to help the suffering. Thanks!

[Diana Prince]

24. This year we are unable to donate cash but we will give time.

My girls and I will volunteer several hours to bell ringing for the Salvation Army. They are so excited to be able to do this.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

26. Oh my gosh, time is VITALLY important to donate! That's awesome!

Please post your idea of volunteering at the following link, where I posted it one more time in the hopes of getting people to donate money AND TIME! Thank you. And K & R it if you wouldn't mind. I'm passionate that if more of us gave more time and money, it would make a difference!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4466971&mesg_id=4466971

[fed_up_mother]

29. Great Idea. Wouldn't work in my family depending on the charities Liberal? Conserative?

However, in the past we have chosen one charity together and all made donations to that. And then we sponsored a family and bought Christmas gifts for them. That was very nice.

[Hekate]

31. The Food Bank, Second Harvest, and such should be acceptably non-partisan

:hi:

Hekate

[fed_up_mother]

32. Exactly.

:hi: back to you!

[Irishonly]

30. We have done it for years n/t

[DU GrovelBot]

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