Real Estate Blog - Meaningful Christmas gift

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Meaningful Christmas gift

If you are like me, you are STILL working on your Christmas shopping!! While trying to find a special gift for friends and family, I came upon a website that is for charitable gift giving. Heifer International gives an opportunity to make a donation in your loved one's name to help those in other countries.

Gifts start as little as $10, but can make a huge impact on a family and/or a community. For example, you can donate a flock of geese for only $20! With that flock, the geese can lay up to 75 eggs per year...this helps the family with protein and a source of income. The geese are inexpensive to care for and actually are good "watch dogs".

There are many other donation opportunities, like bees (used to make honey to eat and to sell), goats (to make yogurt, cheese, and the manure to fertilize their gardens), to water buffalo (that help the families plant more than they ever could by hand).

It's just amazing to me, that with so little, WE can do so much!!

Please consider giving a gift that will help many!!! I am planning on doing just that this holiday season!!

Posted by Lori Hakeem on 12/13/2007 12:40 PM

Comments (13)

lori hakeem, christmas, christmas gifts, meaningful gift, help others, donate, charity

Post is included in group: ActiveRain Rotarians

13 Comments on Meaningful Christmas gift

This is a wonderful organization, thank you for reminding us.

12/13/2007 12:51 PM

by Chris Fisher of StagersLIST.com Buy Stage Sell (StagersLIST.com)

My pleasure!! I love that it takes so little, to make a big difference!! :)

12/13/2007 02:12 PM

by Lori Hakeem (Keller Williams Realty)

Hi Lori.

This is such a great idea! I, too, have not finished my shopping and will use this site for gifts. Thank you for the information!! Have a great holiday season.

12/13/2007 02:19 PM

by Temple Smith, Smith Staging & Design,Tampa, FL (Smith Staging & Design)

That's a great idea for those hard-to-buy-gifts for people. Plus it helps others at the same time. Thanks for the suggestion.

12/13/2007 02:30 PM

by Brigita McKelvie - Lehigh Valley, PA, Residential, Rural & Horse Properties (Vision Realty Group)

Thanks for commenting, Temple and Brigita!! I am excited to see some interest in helping!! Yeah!!

12/13/2007 03:27 PM

by Lori Hakeem (Keller Williams Realty)

Lori, I'm so glad you are bringing attention to this organization. The hardest part is choosing which animals to donate! Heifer donations are my gift of choice for all my friends and family. (Great teacher gift also!)

12/13/2007 03:41 PM

by Angel Walker, Staging Professionals, LLC (Staging Professionals, LLC)

Lori, One thing is certain - Rotarians are always finding places to assist. HI is good because the amounts are not as steep as some charities. People don't have to feel they are not doing enough. Karen

12/13/2007 03:53 PM

by Karen Kruschka - Fairfax Prince William Stafford County VA Real Estate Service (RE/MAX Allegiance)

Angel, I agree with you!! So many great options with the animals. I love the idea for teacher's, too! Great suggestion!

You are so right, Karen! A little bit goes a long way with these folks! As little as $20 can make a difference to the family...and to US!

12/14/2007 10:05 AM

by Lori Hakeem (Keller Williams Realty)

Lori: This looks like a wonderful way to give. Thank you so much for making us aware of this organization. I'm going to check it out. GBU!!

12/14/2007 04:49 PM

by Elizabeth Nieves - Bilingual Raleigh - Durham North Carolina Real Estate Team (The Elizabeth Nieves Realty Group @ Keller Williams)

Thank you, Elizabeth. Have a wonderful holiday!!

12/19/2007 09:53 AM

by Lori Hakeem (Keller Williams Realty)

We as a family take Christmas cards and treats to our neighbors. I volunteer to ring the salvation army bell. i also volunteered this year to play Santa at The North Pole in our city. Also, we have one family in our neighborhood who we are aware of that is having it tough so today we are sneaking over there to drop off a box of gifts and food. I think there are many places in our own neighborhood that if we look around we can find a way to give someone a special Christmas gift. Years ago, like 20 years, I owned an automotive shop in Greenville Texas and one morning came to work to find in the key drop box an envelope with $400 in it and a note to my family and I to have a Merry Christmas from an annom person. I never forgot that and so we try to do something special for someone each year. Look around where you live, ask the local church leader if they have anyone in their church with a special need. Call the fire dept or police dept or the women's shelter for people to help. and don't forget those people with signs saying, will work for food at the intersections. you just never know, They may be an angle in disguise! Christmas is a wonderful time of the year and a time most people become extra nice. Smile and wish all a Merry Christmas.

12/21/2007 04:48 AM

by Frank Ross (Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection of SW Utah)

I'm a little late reading your blog but my Rotary club donated to Heifer International. Our current district governor's wife is very involved in this organization so to honor her we donated money to Heifer Int'l. It is a great group. Thanks for spreading the word!!

01/09/2008 10:26 PM

by Linda Box Taylor -- Your Plano, TX Realtor (Virginia Cook, Realtors)

Frank, you offer such wonderful ways to share the message of Christmas! Tons of people need assistance year round, good for you!!

Linda, that's terrific that your Rotary club is involved!!! I mentioned it to my Rotary club, but will do so again. Thanks for commenting, my fellow Rotarian!

01/10/2008 09:13 AM

by Lori Hakeem (Keller Williams Realty)

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