December 2, 2008 3:00 PM
Meaningful Christmas gifts - from World Vision
With five kids in public school - including four with special needs - the list of teachers, assistants, principals, coaches, specialists, therapists, and bus drivers I want to remember in a special way at Christmas can be overwhelming. Can you imagine the line up of little gift bags? I have done it in the past, but always seem to forget someone. Last year I decided to go for something more meaningful that we can all share in.
Goat $75
The early-morning bleating of a dairy goat is a happy sound for children in countries like Haiti and Kenya -- they know it's ready to be milked. A goat nourishes a family with protein-rich milk, cheese, and yogurt, and can offer a much-needed income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale at the market. It even provides fertilizer that can dramatically increase crop yields!
Through World Vision's Christmas Catalog, I ordered a goat for a family who needs milk and cheese, then downloaded the cards they provide and sent them to school for the teachers.
World Vision is a great alternative for gift-giving. Especially for the person who has everything. Five years ago the Curtis family gave up Christmas and instead sent a large sum of money to World Vision to build a hut for a family of African orphans - similar to this year's offering of a Mongolian ger. Much more memorable than any presents we really didn't need.
You might want to bookmark Worldvision - I've used their catalog for gifts at other times of the year too.
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