Balancing Motherhood's Gift Guide 2010: Samaritan's Purse

My choice for item number 5 this year is to give a gift of life and hope to people in the name of someone you love. Samaritan’s Purse offers tons of gifts that go to people in need — people who really need. Instead of sending a fruitcake to someone who will most likely give it away or toss it, give them a gift that helps others.

In the past I’ve purchased a goat for a family in a struggling country. The goat is not for the family to eat. It is a money-maker for them. “Around the world, more people drink milk from goats than from cows. One goat can produce enough nourishing milk for a family, and a small herd can supply a steady source of income.”

Other options listed in the catalog include things like:

Feed a hungry baby for a week — “Mothers in southeastern Ethiopia carry their hungry babies for miles across dry, dusty plains to reach the Samaritanâ€™s Purse feeding center. Though many of the children arrive near death, most are healthy enough to return home after a few weeks of nourishing food.”
Teach a child to read and write — “Around the globe, Samaritanâ€™s Purse helps thousands of children like this through a variety of education and literacy projects.”
Build a school — “Around the world, Samaritanâ€™s Purse has built or renovated schools that furnish thousands of children with hope for a better life.”
Honey bees — “Little honeybees can be a big blessing for struggling rural families, who can sell honey and beeswax to pay for education, healthcare, or other basic needs.”
Mosquito nets — “While they sleep tonight, thousands of children will be bitten by mosquitoes that spread one of the worldâ€™s most rampant and deadly diseases. Malaria kills over a million people each year, most of them children under age 5. For $10, we can provide a bed net treated with natural insecticide to kill mosquitoes and keep children safe and healthy.”

And, gifts range in price to fit all price ranges. Sometimes, I group several people into one purchase so I can buy a larger item and help more people. Other times, I bought several of the smaller items to represent individuals. Some gifts are outright purchases while others are shared costs: $10 buys one mosquito net, while building a school costs $25,000 so you can “share a gift” with others by making a $250 donation.

You may remember that last month I wrote about Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child. My local drop off location alone collected more than 4,000 boxes! That’s 4,000 children in the world who will get a box full of toys, games, books and candy. Joy.

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