Dec 12 2008
Go Ahead ‘Have a Cow!’
Photo Credit: Heifer International
This holiday with the economy spiraling downward at a rapid rate, most families are finding it difficult to compare with the holiday’s of the past.
I spend a lot of time ’surfing’ the web, on the going’s on of today, and have sadly found that a majority of the parents today are having a difficult time explaining the financial crunch to their children, on why there won’t be as many gifts under the tree this year as their have been in the past.
I was speaking with a friend of mine last night on this subject, who has teenage children. She told me that her solution within her family is that they are going to participate in a Secret Santa and then donating a heifer to a village in need! Of course, my initial response was, “I’m sorry, what?!?” But after much explanations and a fair bit of laughter, I thought what a great idea!
The money donated to Heifer International ranges from $20 to $5,000 and the object is that with a fair donation, an animal or a flock of animals is donated to a village in need. For $20 a flock of chicks will be donated to a village in the Caribbean for eggs to either eat or sell, providing the village with much needed nutrition or money. For $120, donate either a sheep or a goat for milk and wool, and the list of possibilities goes on. There are many different gifts to choose from but the main idea is to give the gift of self reliance to a struggling village in need.
Off to pick out my heifer~
Wind
Great idea! I’ll have to mention this in my blog too. Have fun picking out that cow!
Hi Wind,
We’ve donated to Heifer International many times usually as a gift in someone’s name - you know, to the person that has everything. We always donate the chicks because they seem to be the fastest way for a family to begin to get ahead. Not only does the family get the protein from the eggs , but with the addition of a rooster the flock soon begins to grow and the family has eggs to sell or trade for other needs. It’s amazing how many women have been able to lift their family out of poverty by creating their own micro businesses this way. What a gift!
Lynne
This is a fantastic idea! I love it. Thanks for the link!