Why_Donate_to_Heifer

With the recent passing of Thanksgiving, and Christmas being right around the corner, I’m sure that many of us went to sleep on Thursday night with visions of turkey dinner still dancing in our dreams. Now that we are in the “season of giving” we go out to buy gifts for family and friends, but how far do our gifts extend' Is it a novelty for the season, an app that will soon be out of date or is it something tangible that reflects the joy of the season' Generosity of spirit can cross continents, and it only takes a little bit of effort on our parts. For the person who has everything or a family who wants to do something extra, why not try giving the gift of life this holiday season. Families all over the world do not have the luxury to sit down and eat dinner as most of us are accustomed to. Growing up in America we almost always have multiple places to get food from usually located within a couple miles of where we are at any point and time; the privilege of going to college and extending our education beyond the 5th grade. We do not realize that on a day to day basis people all across the world struggle to find food so their families can have just one meal a day. We all see commercials telling us to please donate money to help a needy family get dinner, but what if the donation of a goat could provide a family with resources that go much farther than just dinner. I may sound a little odd, but when you make a donation to Heifer International you do not only help a single family but eventually, over time, you have the opportunity to have influenced an entire community. For those not familiar with Heifer International, it is a non-profit organization started in 1944 that works directly with millions of families in more than 125 countries, including the U.S. Heifer provides needy families with different forms of livestock such as goats, pigs, sheep, chickens, bees, and of course cows along with several other forms of livestock. But why livestock may you ask' Well, the program works like this: You purchase livestock like a sheep and donate it to a needy family designated by Heifer International. The needy family receives the gift, which helps sustain them throughout the year, providing soft, warm wool that can be made into clothing. Or, it can be sold to pay for food, medicine and school. In short, through giving this animal you are essentially giving the family receiving it a small business and inevitably a sustainable livelihood. To insure that your donation stays healthy Heifer conducts training programs for para-vets, or Community Animal Health Workers when local professional veterinary care isn't available. This is just one of several strictly-followed Animal Well-Being Guidelines, which also include: Giving preference to purchasing animals that are already accustomed to the local area and provide full training to farmers before they receive any livestock. They also make sure farmers use appropriate shelter and separate pens for animals of different species. Teaching zero grazing is another technique, which enhance the animal’s health and ensures that adequate food and water are provided. A final way Heifer insures the animals well-being is by emphasizing nutrition, including clean water at least twice a day and providing project participants with the initial vaccinations. All this is done in an effort to ensure that the animal remains as healthy as the day it arrived. After receiving these livestock, the Heifer families in return agree to share the offspring of their Heifer gifts with another family in need; that second family makes the same commitment, and the trend continues on and on. As people share the offspring of their animals – along with their knowledge, resources, and skills – an expanding network of hope, dignity and self-reliance is created that reaches around the community and world. With millions of people now starving and unable to sustain themselves, Heifer’s unique approach is needed on an even greater scale. Their “Hope for the Future” gift provides you with an opportunity to not only make a profound difference in the world, but to also share it with those special people in your life during this holiday season. Your gift will help Heifer reach men, women and children around the globe who are on the brink of starvation and help them raise livestock and grow crops to provide stable sources of food and income for their family to live off of. Through donations, millions of people who were once hungry will be nourished by milk, eggs and fresh vegetables. Families who for generations knew only poverty will be building new homes and starting businesses. Children who once headed out to the fields to do backbreaking work will be heading into schoolrooms to learn to read. And people who never thought they’d be in a position to help someone else will be experiencing the joy of charitable giving. So this holiday season, try thinking about what issues — rather than what objects — are important in the world. Instead of giving everyone on your gift list a copy of Avatar and a bottle of whiskey, help them engage in an issue that is important to them, to help better the world in the process.