Holiday Survival Handbook: Last Minute Gifts (Our Smart Compassion Style Guide)
We bet you’re all dressed up, gifts are wrapped, and cookies are baked.
Uhh Ohh…
Did you forget something? Perhaps a gift for a relative? For a White Elephant Party? For a colleague?
USAID CIDI staff is here to help you overcome that sinking feeling with easy, thoughtful, last minute gifts!
Delfin
Who doesn’t love the Bahamas? Delfin, our Chief of Media Relations and Strategy, has been dreaming of scuba diving in pristine Caribbean waters all year long. Make sure the Caribbean and its wildlife are here for you to visit time and again by adopting the coral reef. For $50 through The Nature Conservancy, you can protect the ecosystem and the sea turtles that inhabit it. Who doesn’t love turtles?
http://support.nature.org/site/Ecommerce/1438131896?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=1361&store_id=2741
Eric
Long-term recovery and return to normalcy are crucial for survivors. One of the best ways to support this is through a microfinance loan. Eric, our Senior Research Analyst, calls this the Gift of Self Reliance. For $10, you can support Filipino entrepreneurs start a business. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/raise-capital-for-entrepreneurs-in-philippines/
Juanita
Juanita, our Director, is a former English major and bibliophile. Currently, she is engulfed in “Chasing Chaos: My Decade In and Out of Humanitarian Aid”. For Juanita, it harkens back to her time in disaster relief work. For your last minute gift recipient, it tells gritty, gripping tales about the highs, lows and in-betweens of humanitarian work that will inform the soul of the adventure-lover and the dreamer alike. $12.45.
Paris
Paris, our Information Management Specialist, wants to support causes that are close to her loved ones’ hearts. Her gift of choice is a GlobalGiving Gift card. It allows the recipient to chose a $10 program or cause that they truly support, all in the name of the holiday spirit.
http://www.globalgiving.org/gifts/
Chris
Chris, our Social Media Specialist, wants a gift that reaches everyone. Even before disasters, those with physical or mental disabilities may already be at a disadvantage. After a disaster, infrastructure and resources are severely limited. Chris, our Social Media Specialist, wants a gift that reaches everyone. That is why his go-to gift is $15 to purchase spare parts for all terrain wheelchairs in Haiti.
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/haiti-wheelchair-project/
Barlin
Barlin, our Program Coordinator, loves camels-from pictures in her office to camel milk in her tea. She often talks about how vital camels are for nutrition, transportation, and status in Somalia.
Barlin’s perfect gift, last minute or otherwise, is a share of a camel, $85, through Heifer International. Heifer International provides livestock to families in need.
http://www.heifer.org/gift-catalog/animals-nutrition/gift-of-a-camel-donation.html
So readjust your tie, munch on a cookie, and go to that holiday party confidently! You’ve crossed off everyone on your gift list while practicing Smart Compassion.
Happy Holidays from our team to yours!