Results: Small Gifts, Big Impact

At this time of year, for those less fortunate than ourselves, little gestures can mean the world. In this season of giving and receiving, the best gifts are often the ones that help others in need. No matter how little you may have have, there is always someone who is far worse off, and if a little holiday gift can brighten not only the recipient, but someone else at the same time, isn't that a perfect gift? Do you enjoy giving gifts that help the community or someone else in the process?

For someone suffering from addiction and severe mental health issues, sometimes all it takes is a small token of kindness and familiarity to support them in their rehabilitation. Gifts of Light are practical, meaningful gifts that meet the unique needs of patients at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Purchasing Gifts of Light on behalf of your friends and family goes to help people in crisis on their journey to recovery. Gift of Light was founded in 2008 thanks to the generosity of our donors, and continues today as a 100% donor-funded program. Over 13,000 patients each year benefit from the everyday essentials, such as pyjamas, slippers or personal care items, gifted to them through generous donations. Have you ever given a gift to someone like this, that directly goes to help someone in crisis or in need?

One of my favorite gifts of charity is to donate the gift of livestock to a country in need. Through organizations like Canadian Feed The Children or Plan International Canada (and I'm sure there are similar organizations in the U.S.) you can actually gift a poor country with chickens, goats or other livestock, These are not symbolic gifts, but real tangible livestock that can make all the difference to a village in need. When you choose a goat, your money goes directly to a goat program in a country like Cameroon. So the gift you choose is exactly where your money goes. Have you ever given a gift like this?

For 2019, industry experts expect the average American to spend $920 per person on holiday gifts, up from $885 in 2018 (from the National Retail Federation). While everyone may enjoy a new toy, outfit, kitchen gadget or the latest tech gift, $920 could buy a struggling family either here, or in a third world country, their life. In countries like Uganda, $4 can buy 3 gallons of clean drinking water, 4 dozen eggs, several pounds of fresh produce, or 5 pounds of white rice. In India, $5 could provide 60 bananas, 13 pounds of rice, 15 loaves of bread, or even a visit to the doctor and some cough medicine. In Bangladesh, a few dollars could provide a bus ticket to almost anywhere from the capital city, enough to feed eight people at a local food stall, 80 cups of tea, or 40 cups of coffee. In the Philippines, only $1 can buy a men's haircut, two hours of Internet access, 45 fish cakes, or nine spring rolls. So, if everyone would just buy one gift giving to others, it could mean a big difference in the lives these gifts touch. Would you consider giving to charity, rather than buying gifts to give to your family and friends this year?