Gifts that Give Twice Add Special Meaning to the Holidays

What’s the best present you can give a poor family in need?
Hope.

These days, many people are choosing to give holiday gifts that make a difference by improving the lives of impoverished families and children around the world. Almost everyone has at least one friend, family member or co-worker who is nearly impossible to buy a gift for, because they really don’t need a new sweater or another coffee table book.

Maybe that’s one reason why a growing number of people are choosing to add meaning to the holidays by exchanging charitable donations instead of traditional gifts. What could embody the spirit of the holidays more than a gift that improves the lives of impoverished families and children around the world?

One international humanitarian organization, Mercy Corps, has made it easy to give more meaningful gifts this holiday season by offering “Mercy Kits.” These kits offer shoppers a unique present for someone on their holiday list, as well as a way to give critical assistance to families in need -- they’re gifts that give twice!

Many people are attracted to this idea because it adds a special meaning to the holiday season, which more and more people believe has become too commercialized. People also like the ease and convenience of purchasing charitable donations online, which means they can avoid long lines and jammed parking lots.

"Around the holidays, many people examine their values and look for ways to express those ideals in the gifts they give," says Mercy Corps Chief Development Officer Matthew De Galan. "Mercy Kits are gifts that truly make a difference in a needy person’s life, and offering them online makes holiday gift giving more convenient for shoppers.”

Mercy Corps operates humanitarian aid programs in more than 35 countries around the world including Iraq and Afghanistan, and each Mercy Kit helps support critical programs in places where the agency works. This year, Mercy Corps is offering 15 different Mercy Kits through its Web site at www.mercycorps.org.

Each Mercy Kit recipient receives a personalized card saying that a friend, family member or co-worker has made a donation to Mercy Corps in his/her name. Examples of this year’s Mercy Kits include:

* A Sheep Kit that sells for $70 and provides an impoverished family with a sheep that helps them generate valuable income from selling wool.

* A Rainforest Kit for $60, which helps Nicaraguan coffee farmers support their families by growing and processing environmentally friendly coffee near protected cloud forests.

* A Peace Kit for $50, which helps poor families in Iraq achieve peaceful communities and rebuild ruined infrastructure such as hospitals and schools.

In August 2004, Mercy Corps received an A+ rating for its financial performance from the American Institute of Philanthropy. The agency’s 91 percent efficiency rating ensures donors that their resources are devoted directly to humanitarian aid programs.

Holiday shopping has never been easier, or more meaningful. Make a difference this season.