Day Eight - giving a little back at Christmas

So far so good - I have managed to make it to day 8!

I thought today I would share with you some ideas for Christmas gifts once we have run out of time to make some!!!

Not everyone appreciates a charity Christmas gift so you want to make sure you send them to people who wont be offended. Paul says that if I give a charity gift I am really giving myself the gift of 'smugness' and not giving the recipient the choice, but I disagree. There are people in my circle (friends, family, work colleagues etc.) who have everything they need! If they want something, they buy it! So what better gift to give them than something that helps out another who is less fortunate!

I like to choose a gift that relates to the interests of the recipient, i.e my mother is a stitcher and I have sent her sewing machine to India (obviously not her ACTUAL machine - that is more likely to make her grumpy!!!). I have also sent a gift to train a woman tailoring skills so she can start her own business as well as sewing kits to schools all on Mum's behalf.

My stepfather keeps bees and chickens, so in the past I have sent some hives, some chicks and a coop to Zimbabwe.

There are three sources I have used, but there are plenty others!

Samaritans Purse

World Vision

Oxfam

So maybe I have given myself a gift - and my Mum and Stepfather - but we know that we have changed the life of someone, somewhere in the world, and that will always bring a smile to my face!