Share the True Spirit of Christmas with the World Vision Gift Catalog (and a giveaway for you!)

"Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime”

I have always loved this quote. Contributing to self-sufficiency programs is such a wonderful way of giving because it sets the beneficiaries up for the long term, empowers them to help themselves, and preserves their dignity. But I think there's one part missing: the man's going to need a net, otherwise he's going to come home empty handed. The world is full of bright, hardworking people who just can't get a leg up because they don't have the infrastructure or can't afford a small capital investment to get started.

Making donations in someone else's name as a holiday present is nothing new, but the World Vision Gift Catalog puts a personalized twist to it. You not making a cash donation, you're buying actual items like donkeys or fish. Who would want a stinky old animal? A poor family in Rwanda would -- that's where your gift goes, and that's where the real Christmas spirit lies. Your gift recipient gets a happy, warm feeling, and the physical gift actually benefits people around the world who truly need a holiday gift.

There is such a wide variety of gifts and causes in this catalog to suit anyone's tastes. You can choose a cause that's especially close to your gift recipient's heart. For example, I would really be touched if someone donated a couple of ducks in my name as a present, because they benefit families in the Philippines, where I'm from. Or you can tailor the gift to your recipient's tastes and personality. For example, as a present to someone who loves soccer, you could give soccer balls to poor children in Africa in their name.

Another option is to donate to their Maximum Impact Fund, which enables World Vision to answer specific, urgent needs of children and families that might otherwise go unmet. Donate in honor of a friend or loved one and they will receive a card explaining the impact of the donation -- as well as a meaningful present to enjoy! Depending on the level of your donation, you can choose from dozens of items, from handcrafted jewelry and accessories to toys, cds and books.

World Vision sent me the Artisan Multi-Colored Necklace, which is available with a $100 donation to the Maximum Impact Fund, and it is as pretty as pretty can be. It's a strand of semiprecious stones and glass beads that you can wear as a necklace, a bracelet or a belt -- just wrap it around whatever part of your body you want to accessorize, then tie the ends together in a loose knot.



What a great win-win situation: you can give a meaningful and affordable gift for a loved one, and you can help make a difference in the lives of children and families living in poverty in the U.S. and around the world!


Win an Artisan Necklace from World Vision
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive the Artisan Multi-Colored Necklace from the World Vision Gift Catalog!


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you and your family like to spread the true spirit of the holidays, or how you teach your children about the true meaning of the holidays.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Blog about this giveaway, making sure you include a link to the giveaway in your blog post (1 entry).

2) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger/Google Friend Connect (1 entry).

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the World Vision Catalog giveaway! http://bit.ly/rOU3OU

4) Write this on the True Spirit of Christmas Facebook wall (1 entry):

Help spread The True Spirit of Christmas, and you could win a beautiful artisan necklace from the World Vision Gift Catalog! Enter by 12/15 on Bonggamom Finds: http://bit.ly/rOU3OU

5) Write this on the World Vision Facebook wall (1 entry):

Help spread The True Spirit of Christmas, and you could win a beautiful artisan necklace from the World Vision Gift Catalog! Enter by 12/15 on Bonggamom Finds: http://bit.ly/rOU3OU

6) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):

RT @bonggafinds Help spread The True Spirit of Christmas & u could win a beautiful artisan necklace fr @WorldVisionUSA http://bit.ly/rOU3OU




The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on December 15, 2011; I will draw 1 winner at random on December 16 and post the winner's name after he/she confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a sample necklace as a thank-you for posting this information and running the giveaway. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.