Reader
Contribution: Do You
Have An
Inspiring Story? A Favorite Way To Give? Or have you been the
recipient? If you would like to see your story on this page . . .Guidelines
For Contributors.
The
Dying Wish For A Loving Home
This little guy's name is Inky. He
came with the name and a bagfull of really bad habits. . . I'll tell
you
about those in a minute. First I will tell you how I got him.
It was the day before Thanksgiving, I was at work. An elderly gentleman
came in to pay his bill. He was a
little late to pay, he said, because his wife had died a week
previously.
He started telling me about how he was moving - he had 3 dogs that he
had to find homes for, but one of them. . . one was special because
this
dog had been his wife's "baby". She had never let him out of her sight
and he was 5
years old! The last thing she said to him was, "Find Inky a loving
home."
Easier said than done. Inky had . . . .let's just say, few social skills..
But somehow, I sensed that this man was sent specifically for me.
I bit. Can I see him?
We made arrangements for me to go to his home that evening. . .
We are all connected to one another through our actions. Each person
has the ability to make a difference. This is one of the messages of
the Five For Fighting video "World".
Tell the world what kind of world you want and raise money for charity
by making and uploading a video of yourself, friends or family
answering the question, "What Kind Of World Do You Want".
Or, you can raise money for charities that John Ondrasik of Five For
Fighting has personally selected. Watch the clips posted by others,
support the sponsor and up to 49 cents will go to charity**.
On
occasions of gift-giving, it's easy to shell out large quantities of
money, only to be
surprised later on at how little you've actually
managed to acquire. Sure there are the
baubles and the trinkets, bright
bits of jewelry, knickknacks, and clever gadgets and
widgets and
gizmos. But sometimes these dust-collectors and whatzits can leave you
feeling flat and uninspired.
There's another approach to gift-giving that might just be what you're
looking for -- gifts
that give.
Supporting
a charity these days doesn't always mean just a donation in someone's
honor.
Though that in itself is an admirable gift, there are other options now
as well.
With
the age of the internet, many charities now have their own
stores with
merchandise that's wonderful
in a number of ways.
For one, it means that you can support the cause of your choice and
still have a gift to wrap up for the recipient. For another, the gifts
often come with a message, advertising for the charity itself. Items
such as magnets and lunch bags, bracelets and socks, can help the
charity pass on their message of need and/or of hope.
There
are even options that that allow you to "adopt" an individual
whale or wolf or other endangered creature. Kits come with photos and
stickers and all sorts of goodies that kids will love.
At the same
time, it's a great way to spark a child's interest in the world around
them and
the role that they can play in making it a great place to
live.
Charitable donations also make great gifts for people who have
everything, as well as for those hard-to-shop-for folks on your list,
and we all have a few of those.
Whether giving to the charity of
your choice,
or a charity that means something to your recipient
(or
why not both?), it's a feel-good approach to gift giving.
Why not give
it a try the next time you're in the market for a present?
