What are you giving?

Part of my job as "the intern" at GUIDE is disseminating information about positive things youth can get involved in. In the most current issue I provide gift ideas which will benefit others. I thought I would share here as well.

p.s. If you receive Youth in the Loop, sorry I'm ruining part of the issue you'll receive Tuesday.

Save the Children: Honor a friend with a donation in their name. Your friend gets a card and ornament, you help children in need. Some examples include: $30 Help provide life-saving health education, $58 Educate a girl for a year, $90 Help a young person learn how to run a business.
MAATIAM: Brings online merchants together and donates a percentage of your purchase to a nonprofit you select.
TOMS Shoes: For every pair of TOMS shoes you purchase TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need.
FreeSet Bags: Each Freeset Bag tells a story of one woman's journey to freedom. She used to stand with 6,000 other prostitutes in a small but well known area of North Calcutta. She didn't choose her profession; it chose her. Poverty does that. It robs people of their dignity and children of their innocence. She still lives in the same area, but instead of selling her body she makes Freeset Bags. Now she has choices, the choice to work decent hours for decent pay, to re-establish her dignity in her community and to learn to read and write. Now her daughter won't have to stand in the street selling her body like her mother used to. Freedom has been passed on to the next generation. By purchasing a Freeset Bag, you become part of the story of freedom.
Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee: Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee is on a mission to provide excellent coffee, support sustainable economic development, and to be a catalyst for reconciliation in Rwanda. "Drink Coffee. Do Good."

Other ideas I can add is adopt a child or family who goes to one of your local schools. If your funds are low you can still help out by providing a service to someone you know who is going through a difficult time. When I was in high school my mom had cancer and while she was sick a woman from my church came over to clean our house each week. It was one of the best gifts I ever received because it was just me and my mom living at home. Cleaning the house was one less thing I had to worry about.