Green Gifts

Before you go out and buy that present....

If you are thinking of giving a gift to a person who enjoys gardening or someone who loves to cook, why not consider a donation in their name to The Dinner Garden a non-profit group whose goal is for people to establish food security for their families by planting their own food to eat and also sell for income. End Hunger. "The solution is in your own backyard." Give light and people will find their own way.

Do you know someone who loves jewelry? Bead for Life fights poverty in Uganda by teaching women skills they can use to start their own business. You can buy their products from the website or make a donation to the program. He who obtains has little, he who scatters has much.

Do you love animals or do you have a pet at home? Donate to your local SPCA. Norfolk  or Virginia Beach Seek joy in what you give, not in what you get.

Do you like people and love to give parties? Why not give a gift of love to Architecture for Humanity which supports a network of architects, designers and building professionals to lend their talents to communities where their services are most needed and can least be afforded. You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.

Here in Tidewater there are many of us who spend a lot of time in and on the water. The Ocean Foundation  is fighting to repopulate the ecosystems of the Gulf Coast - a region recovering from the recent British Petroleum oil spill. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.

Do you have children or grandchildren? Replace a stuffed toy you would normally purchase with a donation to The World Wildlife Fund Symbolically adopt a panda, tiger, polar bear or humpback whale for $50.00 and they will send you a stuffed animal, a photo, adoption certificate and information about the animal. Teach your children that it is impossible to love without giving.

This season especially, please remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive.