FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676, lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin - 24/7 - (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.net
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No more ho-hum gifts: Want to buy a water buffalo? Church World Service offers gift giving alternatives
NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2007-- Alternative giving is an increasing phenomenon nationwide. Even so, year after year of trying to come up with meaningful and attractive gifts for friends and relatives can test the creativity of anyone. A look at some of the alternative gifts on the market this year could be an answer to the gifting dilemma.
If itâs meaning plus novelty that youâre looking for, you could be the first person on your block to purchase a water buffalo or a share of one at $200 or $50 respectively. Hereâs a description of the gift from global humanitarian agency Church World Serviceâs print or online Best Gift Catalog.
âThese four-legged tractors provide a struggling farm family with the power to significantly increase their food production, as well as a strong back to carry produce to market. A water buffalo translates into increased income, better health, and the chance for children to go to school. This big animal makes an even bigger difference!â
The water buffalo may be the biggest but itâs not the only unusual or life-changing gift offered.
The free Church World Service catalog contains gifts starting at $10, and ranging from emergency items like blankets and hygiene kits for disaster victims, to educational gifts like literacy training for rural women in Africa, or chickens to help improve the diet and income of struggling farm families, like those in Indonesia whose incomes were wiped out by the tsunami.
Churches and community groups can give others the opportunity to delight a gift recipient while also supporting work that helps people in need by organizing church fairs or holiday markets that feature these and other gifts that put meaning into holiday gift giving by children and adults.
To help with the planning, CWS offers a free Alternative Holiday Market Packet, a resource for congregations that want to promote an alternative to a consumer-oriented observance of the holidays. The packet contains tips on organizing an Alternative Holiday Market, a promotional poster, reproducible gift vignettes, and a copy of the Best Gift Catalog.
Gift prices represent the average cost of providing the particular tools, supplies, services or training to needy families. Each purchase represents a tax deductible contribution to CWS and donations will be used where needed most.
So, if youâre already cringing at the thought of buying yet another gift that may end up tucked away in a dresser drawer, consider the buffalo, the blankets or any of the other life-changing gifts offered as alternatives.
Best Gift catalogs and Alternative Holiday Market packets can be ordered at (800) 297-1516 or viewed online at www.cwsbestgifts.org. Gifts may be ordered by mail, telephone or online. Gift cards describing the work of Church World Service can be printed out online, or can be provided with each gift of $10 or more. Now celebrating 60 years of service, Church World Service is the relief, development and refugee assistance agency supported in part by 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations in the United States. For six decades, the global humanitarian agency has been working to help end hunger and poverty.
Media Contacts
Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676, lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin - 24/7 - (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.net
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