Mercy Kits: The Perfect Gift

My Mom has been gathering holiday gifts since summer. It's just her way.  And as a recipient of her largesse, I'm not complaining.  However.  This having kids thing has brought into question longstanding holiday habits and required me to think about THE MEANING OF IT ALL.  You can thank me now for sparing you the details of that l-o-n-g process.

So, the end result?  Mercy Kits - product of well-known & homegrown Mercy Corps.  True, it's a packagaing thing to help contributors get a sense of what their money is buying.  But it works for me.  We buy a kit on each of our kid's birthday, and now that one is old enough, he will pick the kit he prefers within the given cost range (they are available from under $50 to $500, and you can search by price point or cateogry  - e.g., health, ag, animals). I have asked for these kits as gifts many-a-time form those who ask (in-laws).  It's far better than another scarf I don't want! 

Here are three of the 25 kits to give you an idea of what's available:

• Family Garden Kit ($35): Innovative Mercy Corps programs are helping educate mothers about the nutritional needs of their children. Your purchase of a Family Gardening Kit provides seeds and farming tools for a family, so they can improve their diets with vegetables. Families are trained in gardening and given seeds and tools to help them maintain a healthy diet for their households.
• Women's Small Business Kit ($40): Your purchase of a Women's Small Business Kit helps provide a loan to a woman so that she may start her own business. These loans are being used to support a variety of activities, including production of felt carpets, family-run flourmills, roadside cafes, village hair salons, and small sewing workshops.
• Children's Playground Kit ($400): Mercy Corps helps distressed children through compassionate programs that encourage them to work through their feelings. Providing colorful playgrounds, sports fields and other play spaces to a community is one way to ensure that children have a place to go, play and heal. Your purchase of a Children's Playground Kit helps build a place where they can go for recreation - a refuge shared with other children.

I have always wanted to pick one of the more substantial kits and involve my extended family - maybe this is the year?  Though truth be told, my husband's family is more the type than mine.  And they already do a coordinated "angel" system to minimize cost and gifts (five kids'll do that to you!). 

Ever bought a Mercy Kit?  With them we can think locally and act both locally and globally since Mercy Corps is based right here in Portland.  So, that's right, you could work for them! 

Comments

[Milagros]

We are BIG fans of Mercy Corps and love that Portland is their home. At the risk of drawing support away from their great programs, here are a couple of organizations that we give "gifts" from every holiday season:

The Seva Foundation: http://www.seva.org/

Heifer International: http://www.heifer.org/

On a related subject...if want to make a difference and like to really see your dollars make a direct-impact. Give a micro-loan at Kiva! This is a truly innovative take on the micro-lending movement, definitely check it out:

http://www.kiva.org/

[Kristin]

Lisa,

Thanks for this resource! I would love to get them all! Many are going to be on our gift list...

[Mary]

Wow! That is really cool. I think I'm going to purchase one in the name of my best friend's children. They are wise beyond their years (7 and 5) and they totally "get it" when it comes to caring and giving to others. Thanks for the great tip!

[scotti]

I also just found another great option:
http://www.malarianomore.org/

You can purchase malaria nets for people in Africa as gifts - and send either a real card or an e-card.