Charitable Gift Giving

We surf the Web to find good products that help out a great cause.

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Soap that helps promote literacy

December 20th, 2008 · Literacy

soap cube

This gift is this beautiful glycerin soap cube from The Literary Site. It’s a soothing, aromatic, Vitamin-E enriched soap available in citrus scent, herbal scent, and cinnamon scent.

This is one of those great gifts that “give three times”–you can give one to your recipient; for every soap cube sold, The Literary Site will donate one book to a child; and the soap is produced by The Enterprising Kitchen, a group in Chicago that provides life-training skills to disadvantaged women who are working towards self-sufficiency. The soap is also produced under fair trade and eco-friendly principles.

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Stuffed Dog that drinks, burps, and wets!

December 19th, 2008 · Animal Causes

stuffed dog that drinks and wetsCelebrate the “dog days” of August by giving a youngster this little Rescue Pet.  This is no ordinary stuffed animal. Tell him to “sit” (or clap once), and he’ll sit. Tell him to “stand”, and he’ll stand. He’ll chew on his bone, and when you blow a whistle, he’ll do tricks. Feed him real water with the bottle, and he’ll drink from it. And yes, he’ll lift his leg and “go”, right onto his little wee-wee pad, which will turn blue.  If you have a child who’s been asking for a dog, this little “train and play” puppy will train your child, just as your child is “training” the dog. See how well your child handles the responsibilities of feeding and cleaning after the dog.  Proceeds from sales of this little guy will go towards helping animal shelters. So your purchase can also teach your kids that with pet ownership comes tremendous responsibility.

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Children's Toothbrushes that Help the Environment

December 18th, 2008 · National Wildlife Federation

children's toothbrushes with recycled plasticIt’s always nice to come across products that give and give and give.

These Preserve Junior Toothbrushes make a great gift for kids. These are great kid’s toothbrushes designed for children ages 2 to 8, This toothbrush has an ergonomic, pea pod shaped handle designed for young hands to grab on to. The soft bristles protect your child’s teeth and gums. And kids will love the great colors representing different animals. Each comes in a toothbrush box (and as we all know for kids, the toothbrush box is the best part)

Secondly, these toothbrushes are made entirely of recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups. And when the toothbrush is worn out, you can mail it back using a postage-paid label. 
 
Finally, Preserve is a proud supporter of the National Wildlife Federation’s mission to protect wildlife. Each of the animals featured are endangered species, and with these toothbrushes you can share with them the importance of saving these endangered animals.

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Great Gift for Dog Lovers and anyone thinking of getting a dog.

December 17th, 2008 · Amazon, Animal Causes


Back in October, I was happy to receive a comment on the “About Us” page of this blog from Debbie Eades, the author of EVERY RESCUED DOG HAS A TALE: Stories from the Dog Rescue Railroad. It’s both a heartbreaking and heartwarming story about dogs on death row who are saved by the “Dog Rescue Railroad”, a network of wonderful volunteers who help dogs who have been abused and abandoned find loving homes. And ALL PROFITS go directly to help rural animal shelters and dog rescues around the country to ensure that more dogs will have a happy ending.

A book like this is especially important around Christmas time, because this is the time of year when many well-meaning parents will buy their children a dog. They become excited about the companionship and the fun times they’ll have playing with the dog. But sadly, too often they don’t think about the responsibility of owning a dog, and they decide the dog “doesn’t work out”, whether it’s because the dog is in a house where the kids are too young, or the dog has habits that the family doesn’t like, or the family simply doesn’t want to take the responsbility of feeding, walking, and getting medical treatment for the dog.

And so tragically, too many of these wonderful dogs get thrown out like an old sweater, ending up in shelters and ultimately euthanized. Ms. Eades book is a great gift for any animal lover, and should be required reading for anyone who’s thinking of buying a dog. It is also a great way to teach a child of the realities of Man’s Best Friend in the world, and that dog ownership is not simply owning another toy, it’s taking responsibility and care for one of God’s creatures–one that lives, breathes, feels love, and feels pain.

You can visit Ms. Eades’ site at http://everyrescueddog.homestead.com/ for more information on this important cause.

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Organic Cotton Shopping Bag from The Body Shop

December 16th, 2008 · The Body Shop

The Body Shop Bag for Life is a stylish tote bag that’s handy to take while shopping, stylish, and carries a great message with it. It’s made of 100% unbleached organic cotton. The bag is 13.39 inches x 15.75 inches.  

  • On both side is the message “Green is not a colour it’s a state of mind”. You’ll be helping the environment by using this bag to shop instead of plastic or paper bags. Plus, proceeds go to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

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Support PBS for the Holidays and get great gifts

December 15th, 2008 · Uncategorized

One thing I love about the holidays is leaving the TV on channel 13, my local PBS station. While all the other stations are screaming about blowout sales and hocking the newest toys and clothes for you to buy, PBS is a quiet place to go to enjoy great traditional fare like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Christmas at St. Olaf’s, the Three Tenors, the Boston Pops, and more. Last year, there was a Nature special called “Christmas at Yosemite” which showed an extremely rare and amazing look at Christmas Day amongst the wildlife at Yosemite National Park.

ShopPBS.org - All purchases support PBS programmingIt seems that even PBS is cutting down on the amount of holiday programming they do this year, but happily at least on the 24th and 25th it’s sticking to tradition. But even if you aren’t available to view PBS on those two days, many of the programs they show are on DVD. Just visit ShopPBS.Org to order them. And of course, with every purchase on ShopPBS.Org, proceeds directly go to helping PBS stations around the country continue to provide great programming free of commercial interests and interruptions.

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Princeton Christmas Music to feed the hungry

December 14th, 2008 · Amazon


Not many people know that the city of Princeton, NJ is one of the most gifted cities in the world when it comes to choral music. It’s home to the American Boychoir and the Princeton Girlchoir. It’s home to the Westminster Choir and the Westminster Concert Bell Choir of Westminster Choir College. Of course, it’s where the Princeton University Chapel Choir are. And it’s home to a number of award-winning private and public high schools, including the Stuart Country Day School, the Princeton Day School, and the Princeton High School Choir.

This is the inaugural year for A Princeton Christmas: For The Children Of Africa, a downloadable album with recordings from all these choirs. In this age when “Christmas music” seems to mean nothing but “Feliz Navidad” and Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime” playing over and over and over again, this CD will be a breath of fresh air, starting with the stunningly beautiful performance of “The First Nowell” and including heartwarming renditions of “It’s Christmastide” and the Princeton Girlchoir’s cheerful rendition of “Let It Snow”

100% of proceeds go to benefit the World Food Programme. Buying the entire album will literally feed a hungry child for an entire month through the WFP.

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Cute Dog Toys that Help Protect Wildlife

December 13th, 2008 · Conservation

This holiday season, as you’re buying gifts for the family, don’t forget the furry member of the family. These dog toys from New York Dog are so cute, I was almost tempted to buy some for myself. They are adorably made, and each has a module that makes the sounds of each animal: the Chimpanzee, the Harbor Seal, the Blue Whale, and the African Elephant

They’re called “Earth Friendly Dog Toys”, because they’re made of 100% organic cotton and recycled fiber fill, but also because proceeds will go to the Morris Animal Foundation to support conservation of each of the endangered species. Each animal even comes with an informational photo card of each animal.

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Yes to Carrots Body Butter

December 12th, 2008 · Amazon

Here’s a neat little product that’s brand new and would make a great stocking stuffer.

The Yes To Carrots Body Butter, 8.45-Ounce Tubs (Pack of 2) is a new product that is fantastic for skin, feels great, and helps a great cause. It’d make a great stocking stuffer.

It’s a moisturizing cream that feels soothing and hydrates dry skin, but doesn’t have harsh chemicals or preservatives. To the contrary, the natural ingredients come from certified organic farmers in Israel. Beta-carotene from organic fruits and vegetables provides nutrients, while actual Dead Sea mud and minerals hydrate without a greasy feel. Shea butter, high in Vitamins A and E, improves skin softness and suppleness.

For best results, start your daily routine by lathering up with Yes To Carrots Carrot Rich Shower Gel, then spritz with Yes To Carrots Body Mist for added hydration.

Yes To Carrots is an eco-friendly company which gives a percentage of all proceeds directly to the Yes To Carrots Seed Fund, a U.S. 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The organization provides under-served communities with resources to develop and sustain an organic food source and access to healthy nutrition.

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Nicole Khristine jewelry that helps children in Ghana

December 11th, 2008 · Developing Areas, Nordstrom


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Nicole Khristine is a very prestigious jewelry design company founded by Nikki DeBartolo (famed daughter of the former owners of the San Francisco 49ers) and fashionista Khristine Williams. In their own words, their style represents an out of the box, diverse fashion for the ‘no rules’ consumer who knows how to make his or her wardrobe interesting by mixing essential and unique pieces. Their designs for men and women have been worn by such celebrities as Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Eva Longoria, David Arquette, Kate Beckinsale, Brad Pitt, Slash, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, to name a select few.

These pendants are a beautiful gift which are inspired by traditional Adinkra symbols of Ghana. Each is a delicate pendant is trimmed with white diamonds and hangs from a studded chain.

Nicole Kristine has teamed with Village Volunteers, a non-profit group with three orphan homes in Kpando Village in the Volta region in Ghana. These homes care for 52 children that are HIV+, malnourished or simply have no adult to care for them. 15% of all proceeds sold from this Tribal line will be given to Village Volunteers to better the lives of Ghana’s Children.

The price range is not for everyone, but if you’re looking for high-end, fine jewelry that donates to an amazing cause, choose from these incredible designs.

Other designs:

“Unity in Diversity”

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“Transformation / Begin a New Day”

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“Love, Safety, Security”

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“Worshiping / God’s Presence”

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