Spreading Cheer

Courtesy of Glamour.com

There are so many holiday gift suggestion lists out there including I Heart Daily’s Gifts $20 and under, Glamour has over 177 gift suggestions, and Marie Claire has 100+ ideas both lists have TONS of pictures – our favorite for – ahem – quiet mental breaks at work. HBO is selling their DVD’s for 20% off for the rest of the day.

While trinkets are nice, we’ve also been on then lookout for gifts that give back.

In addition to suggested holiday gift lists, I Heart Daily also suggests that you give gifts that mean something deeper, including donations to Heifer International which I Heart Daily explains ‘is dedicated to ending global hunger and poverty through the gift of animals to communities in need. Buy a flock of chicks for $20 that will produce eggs, or honeybees for $30 that will cultivate honey.’ We’re willing to bet that a cause like that would even make the Grinch’s heart grow a little bit bigger.

Another charity, MyCharity: Water is dedicated to bringing safe drinking water to everyone on the planet. You can ask for donations in lieu of Christmas gifts, or you can run, bike or donate to bring safe drinking water to people from around the world.

Another great charity is She’s The First, a media campaign that strives to send girls to school that wouldn’t have the chance to go to school otherwise. Your donation can help send a girl from a number of countries in Africa and Asia to school.

You can also help those in your backyard by giving to Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative (AUNI) which helps promote access to healthy food in Philadelphia as well as provide education on exercise and obesity. Philabundance is another great charity that aims to end hunger and malnutrition in the Delaware valley.