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This article is part of Holiday Guide 2008
Health Examiner

Give green this holiday season

November 17, 6:02 PMHealth ExaminerAngela Spears
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A gift of an animal provides direct benefits

This holiday season you can have an effect on millions of people by being green-minded in your gift giving. The world is facing an economic crisis that is forcing food and fuel prices to soar, and climate changes have caused devastation in some of the poorest areas. By giving green you can change the lives of people, who are hungry, help impoverished families build new homes and start businesses and send children to school instead of to work in the fields.

There are many organizations available to help you with your green gift selections. One organization in particular is Heifer International. This leading nonprofit world hunger organization has successfully provided resources for earth-friendly agricultural training for local farms and livestock for families around the world since 1944. Heifer has helped 48 million people in 128 countries including 28 states in the U.S.

One way to become a Heifer donor is to purchase a gift animal or a share of an animal from their on-line gift catalog. Livestock is one of the best resources for ending the cycle of chronic hunger and poverty that plague more than two billion people living on less than $2 a day. The nominal priced gifts will multiply through Heifer’s "Passing on the Gift" promise. This program was designed for families that receives training and livestock they in turn share that knowledge and animal offspring with another family in need. This turns recipients of the program into donors.

All Heifer project are environmentally sound. They take a holistic approach to build sustainable communities and give families a source of food rather than short-term relief. In developing countries, livestock manure is used to produce organic compost for crop production. Heifer also adds bees, trees and worms to help increase crop yields.

So this year when you make you holiday gift giving list make sure there are green-friendly items included. It’s now easier to buy green gifts on-line as well as in some retail stores.  Here are a few suggestions:

 

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