Shopping to Change the World

The day after Thanksgiving is "Black Friday," and the Christmas shopping season is off and running.

Perhaps you've heard this before. . . and it's still as important as ever: This year, try a different kind of gift, a charitable gift. You may not have to go shopping at all -- no crowds, no tensions, no sore feet or lack of parking spaces, etc. And, no need to worry about whether the recipient will like your gift or already has one.

Start with your Christmas cards. Many charitable organizations sell lovely cards: UNICEF, National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, Syracuse Cultural Workers, and many, many more.

If you would like to give a gift of food, perhaps as a "stocking stuffer" or hostess gift, consider Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate. These products are grown on small (non-corporate) farms or plantations using sustainable methods. The products are sold at fair market value or above, giving these independent farmers the opportunity to make a decent living.

Most important are the gifts you want to give to family, good friends, colleagues. This year, give to one of the organizations that is fighting poverty around the globe. They do this not just by one-time handouts of food (though in a disaster, this is important also). Rather, they assist poor people to support themselves and permanently improve their lives. The organization may teach people new trades and provide a market for the goods created, or may supply animals to give farmers a new start. A number of organizations are doing this now; my favorite is Heifer International.

This group provides farm animals to people and then trains them in sound agricultural methods. Once the recipient has established himself and the animals have reproduced, the farmer then passes the gift along to someone else in the community, usually at a touching "pass it on" ceremony.

Heifer may have originated the idea of a "gift catalog," where one can "purchase" a flock of chicks (for a contribution of $20), a hive of bees ($30), tree seedlings ($60) and on through goats and sheep, llamas and water buffalo. These gifts enable a family to enrich their diets (e.g., eggs and milk) and sell the excess to improve their housing and send their children to school.

You can reach Heifer International at (800)698-2511 or www.heifer.org/catalog.

Finally, for kids consider a subscription to Ranger Rick magazine from the National Wildlife Federation. Through that same organization, you can "adopt" an animal (mostly belonging to endangered species) and receive a small plush version of the same beast as an acknowledgment of your support. I believe the World Wildlife Fund has a similar program.

All these are gifts that can bring extra meaning to the holidays for both giver and recipient. They move us away from a focus on "things." They're a way of acknowledging the interconnection of all the citizens of this small, fragile world, animal and human alike, and a way of bringing into manifestation an expression of the Love and Abundance that embrace all.