Christmas is such a wonderful time of giving.
But sometimes all the gift giving seems silly, even a bit selfish.
What if the gifts you give to friends and family were also a gift to those hurting around the world?
World Vision has long been helping children in desperate poverty by providing them with sponsors who supply food, healthcare, education, and someone who truly loves them. In 2015, approximately 900 million people worldwide lived at or below the global poverty line (Defined as living on $1.90 or less a day. Yeah, you read that right.). The greatest concentration of those living in poverty are located in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
At Christmas time, World Vision gives folks a way to go above and beyond to help people in need. Their 21st annual World Vision Gift Catalog is full of more than 100 thoughtful, helpful gifts that you can give to the hurting. Meet practical needs like clean water, fruit trees, career training, backpacks, medical care, goats, chickens, textbooks, sewing machines and SO much more. Increased access to education, healthcare, housing, employment and personal security greatly increase a person’s chances of escaping poverty.
Take a look at the ways your small gift can radically change a real life. It will turn the mayhem of Christmas on its head. It will change you.
It is so cool to sit down with my kids and joyfully pick ways to GIVE. It’s really fun because you can give these gifts in honor of friends and family and they can receive a card to commemorate the gift. It’s wonderful to pair these meaningful gifts up with relatives. My boys picked out soccer balls for kids and gave in honor of their uncle who loves to kick the ball around with them.
And of course, we still want to give gifts TO our friends and family. World Vision has made those gifts extra meaningful too! You can give all sorts of handmade gifts to your friends that were made by people trying to get out of poverty. Your purchase of jewelry, household decor items, or handbags directly impact the artisans who made them, while giving your friends and family something gorgeous and tangible.
World Vision gave me some samples to show off to you. I think this bracelet is my favorite! It goes with EVERYTHING!
You can order online, over the phone (1-855-WV-GIFTS), or request a hard copy. And there’s something for everyone’s price point ($16 all the way up to shared gifts in the $40,000!). You can also just give to a fund to meet people’s most pressing needs under the category “Give Where It’s Needed Most“. Get your extended family involved. Get your church involved.
Make this Christmas a time of giving till it hurts and finding healing for ALL.
World Vision provides assistance to people in nearly 100 countries to help eradicate poverty and provide hope around the world. Learn more about the mission of World Vision by watching this short movie.
Julie is a frazzled mom of three tornadoes. As a dorky second-generation homeschooler, she writes about learning and play, natural living, special needs parenting and matters of the heart. She serves an astounding God that radically saved her.
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