If you celebrate year-end holidays by exchanging gifts, and if you, like me, dread the last-minute retail binge, try one of these sites:
www.globalgiving.com
www.kiva.org
What I love about these is that they allow you, very directly, to make a difference in someone else's life. According to a 2006 story in the Economist, Christmas/holiday spending by a typical US household is about $1600. Rather than consuming more books, toys, socks, sweaters, DVDs, books, and gadgets, why not ask for $25, $50, or even $100 of your gift to be given to someone who really, really, really needs it?
For the New Yorkers - I know you can do this. $25 is two drinks at one of the city's numerous overpriced bars. Give up a martini. Or two. It's not much to us, but a it goes a really long way in poor countries.
1 comment:
some other ideas for alternative christmas gifts:
- extended family gets together to pitch infor a family weekend trip to be taken over the following summer.
- extended family pitches in to pay for a year of college for a needy friend or relative (really).
- gifts of time: typed up, framed contract such as "i will spend 8-9 p.m. with you every night with my blackberry turned off."
reasons:
- good for your family
- good for the environment
- bad for the bush administration to have weak holiday sales season :)
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