As the Christmas season approaches, you might be racking your brain thinking of possible gifts for your loved ones. At MCC, we believe there is no better way to celebrate the season than by helping change lives by addressing hunger, education, health and more.
Through MCC’s Christmas Giving guide, you can help some of the world’s most vulnerable people in the name of your friend or family member.
Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
1. Gifts for foodies
For the foodie in your life, a gift of $25 dollars can help farmers like Joyce Ngumbao and her husband Pius Kisumo in Kenya to increase their harvests and share festive meals with their neighbors now and throughout the year.
2. Gifts for business savvy people
MCC has the perfect gift for small business owners, who believe in the old adage of teaching a person to fish — or for the person in your life who enjoys getting out on the lake.
A gift of $350 gives start-up funds for fish ponds and allows farmers like Chun Sokun in Cambodia to diversify their income by selling fish as well as rice.
Working with a stocking stuffer budget? Just $20 stocks a fish pond.
3. Health and wellness gifts
The healthcare worker in your life has likely had a tough year because of the pandemic. What better way to thank them for their service than to help protect people from diseases?
In countries like Burkina Faso, a $7 mosquito net can prevent people like Habibou Diandé from contracting malaria.
4. Cute animals, anyone?
We all know at least one person who pets every cat or dog they come across or likes to watch animal videos on their phone. For the pet lover, we recommend giving the gift of a goat for $50.
These adorable animals are easy to raise, can provide milk, or can be sold to help families absorb economic shocks in the event of a failed harvest or a medical crisis.
5. Gifts that empower
Do you have a family member or friend who cares a lot about empowering women and girls? A $50 gift helps women in Chad learn skills like gardening and soap-making and band together to earn more than they could working alone.
6. Gifts for educators
The teacher in your life likely knows how important school is for kids who have faced difficulty and trauma in life.
Syrian refugees living in Lebanon can receive tutoring, lessons in self-esteem and support from social workers to help them overcome obstacles. Just $25 helps these girls stay in school and live up to their potential.
Not all gifts cost money, though.
This Christmas season could also be a good opportunity to talk about generosity with your children.
MCC’s free, printable resource help kids explore the basics of living generously at an elementary school level.
The entire guide is available online at mcc.org/christmas-giving.
Mennonite Central Committee: Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ
Renata Buhler is a marketing specialist for MCC Canada.
Mennonite Central Committee is a global, nonprofit organization that strives to share God’s love and compassion for all through relief, development and peace. MCC is committed to relationships with their local partners and churches. As an Anabaptist organization, they strive to make peace a part of everything they do.
