Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Last Minute Christmas Gifts with a Social Twist

The former posts were about where to find Christmas gifts that satisfy the materialist in you and the receiver. This time it's for those who want to give gifts that do something more than ending in a landfill, an original gift for somebody who has already so much or for those who want to do some good while giving.

Some material gifts with a social twist: (you won't have these before Christmas when ordered from France! But you can always make a sort of gift certificate to ease the waiting.)

Rosa Love Each Rosa Loves T-shirt helps someone in need. Profits from shirt sales go directly to helping that person, family, or community in need. After the projected amount has been made to supply the need, Rosa Loves stops printing and selling the shirts, making them part of limited editions.

Cause-metic that enhance the beauty inside:
From Peacekeeper cause-metics you find toxic-free, not tested on animals and an all -profit policy: All the distributable profits go to women's health and human rights causes.

You could also donate to charity:

Resto du Coeur
Médecins sans Frontières
ecologic: Greenpeace

And then there are the organisations where you can give in a more personal way:
Ideal for the last moment gifts:
Heifer has a gift catalogue where you can choose a gift in animal form. You buy an animal that provides a family of sustainable income: starting with a flog of geese for 20USD or a cow for 500 USD. You can also participate with a smaller amount in the cow-gift if 500USD is not your budget. After donation you get a gift certificate you can print out and put in the stocking.

More exotic: adopt an animal (panda, elephant, gorilla etc) at World Animal Foundation.

At Kiva, the person to person micro lending organisation, you buy a gift certificate on line and the person you give it to redeems it on the site and chooses the person they want to lend it to.

If you don't have money to buy gifts then you can give you time and love. Visit a lonely neighbour, offer a baby-sitting or a house cleaning. Or just a hug and smile. Those are free and can make somebody very happy!

Wishing you, dear reader a wonderful festive time.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Marry Christmas to all of you.
See the special offers in California hotels - Hotels In San Francisco