Give til it...moos?

With the holiday season almost upon us, In the Weird would like to suggest an alternative form of gift-giving. If your father has enough cologne to freshen up a football league and your mother, like mine, wants nothing more than the family to get together, without fighting, may we suggest a gift that makes the world a better place?

Heifer International is a group that facilitates the donation of life-saving livestock to impoverished people around the world. While your great-aunt probably doesn't need another quilted bathroom, the gift of a single goat could mean the difference between life and death to a family in Africa. This organization has been successfully helping families, individuals, and communities since 1944.

Avoid the drama llama!

Depending on your circumstances, you can donate a single animal, a group of animals, or a share in an animal. Cows, goats, sheep, llamas, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, water buffaloes, pigs, honeybees, and trees are all available if you want to make a difference. Your gift includes training for the family that receives it, so they can learn how to take care of their animals, get lessons in sustainable agriculture, microbusiness, and community development. If your gift is fruitful and multiplies, the new baby animals are donated again, so the entire community benefits.

Your own family members receive holiday cards describing the gifts that have been given in their honor. You receive the sense of well-being that comes from eschewing conspicuous consumption and doing something that benefits others.



Want to know more? Check out Meaningful Gifts from Heifer International.