Confessions of a Mad Librarian

Every year, the technical services staff at Stanford has its own holiday party, and since I've been here, part of the festivities have included a white elephant gift exchange. This year, there's been a change: instead of torturing each other with a bell curve of gifts (in past years, I've gotten the gamut between a way-too-small t-shirt to a set of knives with a woodblock), there were cashboxes set up and we were all asked to bring a check instead of gifts. The donations are going to Heifer International.

From a Barron's article about HI:

Over the course of its 60-year history, Heifer estimates it has aided 38 million people in 125 countries, including the U.S. Today it is working with goat farmers in Zambia, pig breeders in Slovakia and inner-city children in Toronto, who are raising bees and selling honey. In 2002 it marked the passing on of the three-millionth animal in China, and this year it celebrated 1,000 pass-on families in Poland.

In October Heifer's work was honored by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, which awarded the charity its annual $1 million Hilton Humanitarian Award, the largest humanitarian prize in the world.

Heifer is apolitical and doesn't impose its mission or lessons on people. It works by invitation, often with other nongovernment organizations, or NGOs. Sometimes, in war-torn countries like Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Haiti, it loses contact with its local offices and projects, but its work�the passing on of animals and related support�goes on unmonitored.

You can designate a specific animal. And for vegans -- you can also donate tree seedlings. Much more in keeping with the holiday spirit than trying to get (or get rid of) that Clay Aiken CD, I think. If you've already had your holiday party, consider HI for next year.