Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Ho, Ho, Ho (nope, not about Britney or Paris!)


I have officially finished my Christmas shopping! Woo-hoo!!
Now y'all can stop shaking your head in wonder and amazement at my efficiency and forward planning because I did most of my shopping on-line.
My mother is getting a goat, my big sister gets 2 chickens and a rooster. Other relatives will be receiving rabbits, pigs and turkeys.

Thanks to World Vision, each of my family members is getting a farm animal or animals, donated in their name, to a needy family or village in a developing country. Along with the animal, they're given feed and appropriate guidance in animal husbandry.
In many cases, like with the rabbits, chickens and pigs, it offers the recipient a chance to start their own business - breeding and selling - then can use the money for clothes, food and education for their own family.
It's an amazing program, and perfect for my 'peeps' who truly have everything. EVERYTHING. My family is blessed with not-wanting-for-anything and any trinket or article of clothing I offered would be lost in their abundance of 'stuff'. Me included, btw.
I hope someone gets me a sheep!!

On a perfectly selfish note, the gifts are tax-deductable, and aside from the kid's toys and other little do-dads, I don't have a lot to wrap/bow/post, and I feel really really good about helping those who really need it.
If you like this idea - click the link above. Canadians have a different site: World Vision Canada
In addition to farm animals, you can also supply classrooms with much-needed materials, pay for antibiotics and immunizations and send care-packs to kids that include clothes, shoes and a toy for about $10 a pop. Not a bad deal!

~ Wylie the Benevolent

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, that's so cool! Gonna go check out that link. :)

Anonymous said...

Good for you! That is so awesome. That gives me ideas ... hmmm, you know you are a genius and just solved some gift issues I had left.

Wylie Kinson said...

You had me at 'you are a genius'. :)

Anonymous said...

Great idea. I will have to look into this. My kids would thing this is very cool.

Molly O'Keefe said...

We did this two years ago -- gave a village a cow -- and I don't know why we stopped. This year the family is giving to other members of family who are building schools in Sudan.

Buying gifts and getting stuff you don't want or need but have to store somewhere is toooo stressful. Great Christmas presents Wylie!!!!

Molly O'Keefe

Wylie Kinson said...

Thanks Christine & Molly,
I wish I knew about this YEARS ago! I'd have liked to get a cow but they were $600! Maybe next year, I'll get the whole family involved and we can go for the whole stable...