Gifts that Pay it Forward

Do you like this art?  Go to Papayaart dot com to see more designs like this one.  They sell gorgeous cards for every occasion, totebags, journals, calendars, art prints, water bottles and much more featuring creative designs similar to what is shown above.

Every year during the holiday season, we are bombarded by the newest tech gadgets, the latest, greatest big screen TVs (many of which have been banned in California by the way), more obnoxious lead ridden plastic toys and everything else to distract us from what the holiday season should be about.  What is that, you say?  LOVE, KINDNESS and COMPASSION.  So, I went on a search for gifts that pay it forward.  I have compiled some of my favorite choices for conscientious gift giving below (not listed in order of importance):

1) Give the Gift of Nature
    Adopt an Acre
     Plant a Tree
    Adopt a Coral Reef
    Give Carbon Offsets
    OR  Choose from a large selection of gifts that benefit nature at The Nature Conservancy

2) Adopt an Endangered Animal
    Choose from an assortment of 100 different animals   For just $50 you will receive:

• Soft plush version of your adopted animal wrapped in a cloth WWF gift bag
• 5" x 7" formal adoption certificate
• 5" x 7" full-color photo of your species
• Species spotlight card, full of fascinating information about the animal
• FREE priority shipping
• Personalized acknowledgment letter to your gift recipient. See sample letter.

If you provide an email address for the gift recipient, they will also receive the following Bonus Online Premiums:

• Printable, personalized adoption certificate for the species adopted
• Computer desktop images of the adopted animal
• Instant messenger icons of the adopted animal

    Become a member of the Adoption of the Month Club  You or the lucky recipient will receive a different plush every month for the next 12 months, while your gift helps protect animals and preserve habitats around the world. 

3) Adopt a Cat or Dog
Save an animal from being killed at your local animal shelter. Adopt a cat or dog and give them the gift of LIFE while giving other members of your family a friend for life! To locate an animal shelter near you click here ---- > Locate an Animal Shelter

4) Buy gifts that benefit Breast Cancer Research, Child Health, Rainforest Preservation and much more at The Hunger, Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforest & Animal Rescue Site

5) Volunteer anywhere... Click here to find a volunteer opportunity that is just right for you!

6) Give the Gift of Charity
Looking for that perfect holiday gift?  Go with a Good Card!  The Good Card is a gift card with stored value that can be redeemed as a donation to any of more than 1.8 million charities. Click here to give the Good Card --- >The GOOD Gift Card

7)   Feed the Hungry
Click here to locate a food bank near you to drop off groceries.
Donate to Feeding America  Every dollar buys 9 pounds of food, every five dollars buys 10 bags of holiday groceries!

8)   Give of Yourself

     Give Blood! Why is your blood needed? The blood supply needs to be continually replenished. Only 38% of Americans are  eligible to donate blood and out of those only 8% actually do. That amounts to only about 3 out of every 10 people.  Your donations make a difference!  Click here to find a blood drive near you.

Give Hair!   Go to Locks of Love dot com to find out how you can donate your own hair to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide the highest quality hair prosthetics to financially disadvantaged children.

Give Organs!
Each organ and tissue donor saves or improves the lives of as many as 50 people. Giving the "Gift of Life" may lighten the grief of the donor's own family. Many donor families say that knowing other lives have been saved helps them cope with their tragic loss.

9) Donate Toys to Underprivileged and/or Sick Children

Click this link to find a Children's hospital near you.

Click this link to find a Toys for Tots donation drive near you.

10)  Smile at someone.  Say kind words.  Do nice things for people.  Treat others the way you would like to be treated.  Walk a mile in another person's shoes.  Be patient with others.  Love.