Shopping for Good: Charity

So it's Thursday night - apologies for the slacker late post. Tonight is the last post of the Christmas Shopping for Good series and I'm focusing on gifts through charities. There are a million amazing charities out there that you could support and give your loved one a great card or small gift explaining that their gift was spent to support a charitable cause - tonight I'm focusing on two.

First I want to tell you about Heifer International where you can support several different causes and choose from a lot of various gifts from as little as $10 to $15,000 - that's a lot of variety. With Heifer Int. you are choosing a gift to benefit those in need in different ways. For example, you can buy an Earth Gift Basket for $60 will provide a hive of bees and seedlings of trees to a family. Or you can pay $50 for a Hope Basket which includes a gift of rabbits and a starter flock of chickens. Families also receive training and education in the animals' care to make sure their hope becomes a reality. Giving a Boost of Nutrition for $36 provides fruit and vegetable seeds to start a small farm, chickens to raise and help maintain it, and training in sustainable farming and nutrition. You can even spend just $10 to buy a share of various things such as rabbits, pigs, or tree saplings; they let you know the number of shares it takes to provide the full donation. 

There are really so many amazing options that would allow you to give a much better gift to a family member and know that you have helped a family or village so much with a life sustaining gift! Please, go peruse the site and see what they have - it's truly amazing. 

 Next up, I want to share Athena's Warehouse (AW) with you. This is a great organization run out of Atlanta, Georgia. AW uses enrichment programs, different initiatives, and positive female role models to give tools and resources for at-risk, disadvantaged girls attending Title I schools to reach and celebrate their fullest potential. You can donate in two different ways to help this great organization and support a community of young women in need. First you can donate financially (either online or by mailing a check the old fashioned way), or you can be a part of the The Prom Project and donate prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, homecoming dresses, cocktail dresses, and formal attire in any size or color. Be sure to check their website for more specific information about what they cannot accept, but as a woman I know I have shuffled through at least 6 or 7 formal dresses at this point - why not donate them to a young girl who might otherwise not be able to experience her prom in a dress that allows her to feel as beautiful as she is?

I want to also let you all know that there's an aspect of AW that makes it truly amazing. The Prop Project with Athena's Warehouse requires participants (meaning the girls who will end up with your graciously donated dresses) to spend time volunteering at a local nonprofit, with the understanding that it promotes self-empowerment through public service. This is particularly great in my opinion due to the fact that I think that public service - generally a life in service - is one of the best things we can do with our lives. I love that AW is working so hard to teach young girls this as well as what a privilege it is to help others. - Go check out their website or follow them on Facebook!

Like I said before - there are a ton of other organizations you can support and I will be sharing more with you in the future through spotlights and interviews, so stay tuned for new great causes you can support all year long! Enjoy your Christmas season and hopefully you've been able to make your Christmas shopping do a little extra work for you and your loved ones!