The Saturday Six: Mother's Day Gifts That Give Back

  Okay, so I'm a day late with this post.  But in my defense, I was out all day yesterday, and by the time I got home, I was wiped out.  And I actually have six items for this week's list, so it just seemed to lend itself more to being written today.
  Since Mother's Day is almost upon us, I thought that this was a perfect time to share some unique gift ideas I've come across.  Not only are these gifts that Mom or that other special lady in your life sure to appreciate, but they all give back in some way.  And since our Moms spent most of their lives giving to us, what better way to say thank you than by giving something back in her name!
  1.  Make a donation to Mom's favourite charity in her name.
  The options here are endless! Animal organizations, church organizations, local community groups... the list is only limited by your imagination! If you're not sure what her favourite charity is, make a donation of food and/or cash to the local food bank.  Even the youngest members of the family can get involved with picking out food items to donate.
  2.  Help a new mom and baby.
  I came across this idea just the other day when I went to World Vision's website (www.worldvision.ca) to make a donation to the earthquake relief in Nepal.  One of the new gifts that they have is a "Healthy Mom and Baby" package.  For $100, you can help provide an expectant or new mom with things like prenatal vitamins, delivery kits, workshops on mothering skills and more.  And thanks to the Canadian government's matching program, your $100 becomes $300!
  3.  Help protect baby elephants.
  When researching gift ideas for this post, I came across an organization called World Animal Protection (www.worldanimalprotection.org).  From their website: "World Animal Protection is a global charity and our mission is to move the world to protect animals. We inspire people to take action for animals and work responsibly and sustainably, collaborating with non-government organizations (NGO), governments, businesses and local communities to put animal welfare on the global agenda. A baby elephant's bond with its mother is among the closest of any animal, so a gift to help keep baby elephants with their mothers and out of the ivory trade is a perfect way to celebrate your bond with your own mom.
  4.  Buy a basket.
  This is another one that I found when I started researching this post.  Womencraft.org (www.womencraft.org) brings together women artisans from Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi who hand-weave beautiful baskets and trivets using fair-trade and ethically-sourced natural materials.  Make this gift even more special by filling a basket with other fair-trade items such as coffee, stationery, jewellery or bath products.
  5.  Support the mom shop.
  The mom shop is an initiative by Plan Canada (www.plancanada.ca) that provides vocational training, financial literacy courses and Village Savings and Loans programs to help women work together to create small businesses to support themselves and their families.
  6.  Help make the world a better place.
  This one is probably my favourite.  Changing the Present (www.changingthepresent.org) provides a whole list of organizations that you can support, from helping to protect endangered wolves to helping the ASPCA microchip pets.  There are so many things to choose from, you can give gifts to each member of your family all year long!

And if you need even more ideas, google "charity gifts" and browse through the endless options online.

Until next time,
J.