Gifts

Gifts That Make a Difference

ByTamara December 5, 2015September 13, 2026

Every year in November and December, we make our holiday gift list and write up our holiday budget.

It has grown slightly more complicated since I got married and had children. I used to make a list for my Secret Santa sibling and my parents and friends. Then it grew to include my husband and kids. Then there are the conversations about which presents are from “Santa” and which are from us for our kids. Then there are my siblings’ kids, my kids’ teachers and all the wonderful people we work with all year long. There are pets. There are stockings. We are so lucky to make these lists.

In recent years, as my kids grew older, we added a new item to our lists – for our benefit, for their benefit, and for the benefit of the world. And that’s how much we’re going to donate to charity, and how to spread it. Who, what, where, when, why and HOW. We usually take two angel ornaments off of the Salvation Army Christmas tree at the mall, one for each kid, and we buy everything (and sometimes more) off of their wish lists. Then we look for something very creative and beneficial.

With the holidays coming up SO SOON (wow), it’s the perfect time to talk about Gifts of Lasting Change through one of my favorite organizations – CARE. In addition to all of the important gifts on your list – for loved ones and to help your community – a Gift of Lasting Change is an amazing way to share the holiday spirit, while also empowering people in poverty-stricken areas around the world. A Gift of Lasting Change is a very thoughtful last-minute gift. Here are examples of gifts you can give:

· For $25 you can supply kit to help a group of women start their own CARE village savings group.

· For $45 you can buy a goat for a farmer.

· For $143 you can send a girl to school for a year.

· For $100 you can help a former child bride rebuild her life and support her family.

· You can also buy a Quick Gift of support for CARE’s most urgent work.

– Remember, there are many varieties of gifts in the CARE catalog. Since each gift represents a small piece of CARE’s enormous body of work across a staggering 87 countries, you’ll be sure to find a unique gift.

– Did you find a great gift, but can’t donate the full amount? That’s ok! With the majority of the gifts in the catalog, you’ll be able to find a pull-down menu next to the price to buy a half or quarter portion of the gift.

– When you add a gift item to your CARE package, you can select how you want your gift recipient to know you’ve purchased a Gift of Lasting Change in their honor. If you select an e-card, you can add a personal message. If you add a paper card, you can select the “Print a Card” option to get a card you can print, personalize, and mail.

– You can also select “None” as a card option.

You can donate on Facebook at this link HERE.

CARE is a global humanitarian organization that fights poverty by empowering girls and women.

Tamara

Tamara is a professional photographer, a mama of four, a Lifestyle Blogger/Social Media Influencer/Brand Ambassador, and a nearly professional cookie taster. She has been known to be all four of those things at all hours of the day and night. She is a very proud contributor to the book, The Mother Of All Meltdowns, the Stigma Fighters Anthology (volume 1), and The HerStories Project: So Glad They Told Me. She is also a proud Community Lead and a regular contributor to the SoFab Food blog, and the Target Made Me Do It blog. After two cross country moves, due to her intense Bi-Coastal Disorder, she lives with her husband, four kids, five dogs, cat, and 30 chickens in glorious western Massachusetts.