[Creative Commons photo by Tammy Green.]
Shirley’s Zero Dollar Christmas Challenge got me thinking a about the upcoming holidays. Christmas can be so wasteful! Between the energy that goes into production for all of those presents, the shipping, and the gift wrap Christmas presents can be an enormous energy suck. Charity gifts are a great way to green your holiday gift-giving and give back a little bit while you’re at it. Here are five charitable alternatives to hitting the mall.
- Trees in Celebration from the Arbor Day Foundation – Plant a tree in your loved ones’ names! For every ten dollars you donate, the they plant ten trees in one of America’s national forests. Your giftee gets a certificate telling what sort of trees the Arbor Day Foundation planted in their honor and in which forest!
- Child’s Play – This is perfect for the gamer in your life. Child’s Play is run by the folks over at Penny Arcade. They work with hospital staff to set up gift wish lists full of video games, toys, and movies. You check out the lists, choose a toy, and that toy goes right to the hospital.
- Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) – Give the gift of food to a family in need. a 2007 survey found that almost 16% of North Atlanta residents live below poverty level. The ACFB works with local nonprofits to help families in need get food onto their tables. If you’d prefer donating to one closer to your area, you can check the ratings on tons of food banks across the country at Charity Navigator
- Adopt and Animal through the World Wildlife Fund – You can choose between over 90 species – from bison to lemurs to zebras – to adopt in your recipient’s name. The WWF works with local communities to protect the areas’ threatened and endangered species.
- Charity Choice Gifts – If you’re not sure what charity to choose, let your loved one decide! They can choose between over one hundred different charities and you pick whether your recipient gets a plastic card, printed card, or, the greenest choice by far, an e-card.
No matter what charitable gift you go for, donations make personal, green alternatives to material gifts. What are you doing to green your holidays?
About Becky Striepe
