AND A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
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Horning, England Picture by Jack Bierschenk |
WITH CHARITY TOWARDS THE NEEDY
Rabbits, camels, rabbits, clucking geese, a weatherproof tarp, a mosquito net. These are the sort of valuable gifts you can give this holiday season to needy people in the name of your friends and relatives who will probably be delighted you chose to honor them in this manner.
If you thought that charity boils down to sending a check to some worthy group, think again. Charitable organizations are now offering some very interesting options to donors eager to do good regardless of their financial means.
Take the International Rescue Committee, a development and relief organization with a broad reach throughout the world. Its efforts benefit millions of people displaced from their homes by war, violence, or natural catastrophe. Founded in 1933, the organization's mission is to reach out to "people caught in the midst of chaos. We commit to stay as long as we are needed, helping survivors to heal, recover and rebuild their communities." It also helps many of the displaced to resettle in the U.S. where they can begin a new life.
In a pamphlet sent out to donors this holiday season, IRC offered 30 different ways one can contribute in four diverse areas of need: emergency relief, health, education and refuge. The options spanned a variety of activities and material goods needed in areas where ICR is active, such as Haiti, Congo, Sudan and Pakistan.
Depending on a person's largesse or financial limitations, donors can opt to donate as little as $18 to cover the cost of a mosquito net, $24 for a first aid kit, or $54 for a weatherproof tarp. Donors who are more financially flush might choose to donate $100 to cover a water spigot and filter, $190 for cholera medication for 100 children, $298 for first aid training or $330 for a job skill training course. Donors with really deep pockets might consider giving $1,113 to cover the cost of a water tank or $5,000 to cover the construction of a rural maternal clinic. Check out all these awesome gift ideas at theIRC.org/gifts.
Another organization with a pretty sensational list of gift options is Heifer Project International, whose noble goal is to end world hunger and protect the earth. Heifer helps families achieve self-reliance through gifts of animals, seeds, and training. "Our model proves time and again that a gift of one animal sparks a cycle of hope that changes entire communities. "Since its founding in 1944, it has helped 8.5 million families in more than 125 countries. Heifer helps build strong communities because each project participant agrees to pass on the gift of animal offspring, training, or skills to another family in need."
The list of animals you can donate is a veritable Noah's Ark: ducks, camels, rabbits, sheep, llama, honeybees,water buffaloes, pigs, geese, sheep and, of course, the organization's namesake heifer. And if you can't afford to donate the more expensive animals, say $850 for a camel or $500 for a heifer, then you can simply donate a share of the entire cost of the animal. In the case of the heifer, the share is 10 percent or $50, and in the case of the camel, $85. A trio of rabbits is $60, but a share is $10; a goat is $120 but a share is $10. It might seem like a very small amount, $10, but get 12 people together each chipping in a $10 bill and you have $120 dollars to buy a goat that will make a life-changing difference to someone living in poverty. You can access the company's gift catalogue at heifer.org.
Gift giving of this kind was never this meaningful!
DULY NOTED:
--Home baked bread is, of course, a treat. In its absence, there is nothing wrong with a good commercial bread. And San Juan consumers are in luck now that Supermax supermarket chain has brought back the lineup of breads under the Rudi's Organic Bakery label which includes an excellent Honey Sweet Whole Wheat, Oat and Wheat, and a couple of artisan white breads. The breads, which can be found in the frozen foods section, retail for about $4.89.
--Thanks to WorldCentric, ecologically-minded consumers can now entertain in green style with compostable, corn-based cutlery, dishes and cups. Available at Supermax, the products include bowls, dishes, cups and utensils which are not only aesthetically attractive but will easily degrade in a landfill as they are made with sustainable, non-genetically modified corn. Prices range from $2.35 for a pack of 20, 6" bowls to $5.61 for the 10" plates. A pack of 20, 16 ounce cups is $3.55. World Centric donates 25 percent of profits to grassroots social & environmental organizations.
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Photograph by Denise Blasor |
"You may be old or young, but there will always
be moments when you lose your head."
Vincent Van Gogh
A SIMPLE TIP
Instead of throwing away the plastic tops of product containers, use them as practical coasters under drinking glasses or glass pots filled with plants.
EDITOR'S NOTE The San Juan Star is no longer be a part of Puerto Rico's daily media landscape but many former staffers have been busy in recent times producing books or shining in other fields of endeavor. I recently mentioned Gino Ponti's fine book, "A Reporter's Notebook," which recaps many of the great stories he wrote for the Star.
Others have chosen to explore the world of fiction. Robert Friedman, the Star's Washington correspondent for many years, just released a novel titled "Under A Dark Sun" that delves into murder, greed, colonialism and corruption (Amazon, $17.95). If your taste runs to crime fiction, then meet Dolores Cardona, a liberated female detective who is quick on the draw and likes to get into plenty of trouble. Check her out in "El Muro que Guarda El Rosal," by Francisco R. Velázquez, who worked at the Star as a copy editor. Set in Puerto Rico in the late 40s, the book is fun, fast, and filmic.
John Marino, former Star Managing Editor, traveled up and down the island to produce the latest Frommer's Puerto Rico (Amazon, $11.55). And then there is Marvin W. Schwartz, Star chief photographer in the 1960s. His book of black and white pictures, "Puerto Rico in the 1960s," takes you down memory lane to revisit the way things were.
If you like comedy, the new CD by former Star Portfolio writer now standup comedian William Santiago might be just up your alley (he is also the author of the very funny "Pardon My Spanglish Porque Because!"). Titled "I Could Care Less," it was recorded live at ACME Comedy Co., in Minneapolis, MN. The CD is now available as a digital download (MP3) at https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bilsantiago ($9.99). Santiago told us that "You're gonna really enjoy it. Promise."
Kal Wagenheim did not work for the Star but was a stringer for the New York Times during his years in Puerto Rico. He has just released a humorous novel titled "The Secret Life of Walter Mott," (Amazon, $16.99).
Copyright ©2010 Lorraine Blasor All Rights Reserved
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