Have you ever wondered how we decide what new items to add to the Gift Catalog? Well, every year we gather together our leadership from all 20+ countries where we work, and ask them to make a “wish list.” To compile the wish list, our field staff ask communities what they want. They think about what would help meet a pressing need. And they dream about the kinds of items that will make a difference for the most vulnerable. Once these item nominations are selected and sorted through, Food for the Hungry’s holiday gift catalog is born!
Are you getting into the Christmas spirit already? We’re excited to share what’s new in the gift catalog this year. Check out these new items, and consider blessing someone this season (or giving a gift in honor of a friend):
New Item: Watering Can
The gift of a watering can ($10) can to help farmers tend their crops more easily. Farmers use watering cans to water vegetables and other crops growing in kitchen and keyhole gardens and elsewhere, making it especially convenient during the dry season.
New Item: Compost Tools
Provide someone with tools and training for composting ($20). Compost is used as part of agriculture training for families working to develop home gardens. Home gardens are a key tool for providing children with more nutritious meals. And compost means farmers can grow lots more healthy veggies!
New Item: Sewing Machine
Give the gift of a sewing machine ($116) along with training in tailoring and sewing, and this gift can provide another source of income for individuals in poverty. Sewing machines provide a way for parents to earn income while working at home, which is especially important these days due to COVID-19 restrictions.
New Item: Pig Farm
Give five pigs to a farmer ($480) — some to sell to earn an income, some to keep and breed. Multiple pigs mean a better future in farming – their offspring grow and produce more piglets for families to sell, keep, and breed. More income means families are better equipped to pick up costs like medical emergencies and school fees.
New Item: Rabbit
A struggling family can raise rabbits ($16) for income and protein. Rabbits breed quickly, creating a steady source of income from the sale of bunnies. They’re also an easy source of protein for children’s growing bodies.
New Item: Duck
The gift of a duck ($4) gives meat and eggs to hungry families. Ducks also reproduce easily, so families can profit from the sale of ducklings. Purchase 4,000 ducks and meet our entire need in Cambodia!
New Item: Children’s Hygiene Kit
You’ll see that many of our new items this year are designed to help families cope with the COVID-19 pandemic — and this is one of those items. Give children essential hygiene items ($11) for staying clean and healthy. This kit comes with a variety of essential items for staying safe and healthy: soap, combs, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and more enable children to grow and thrive.
New Item: COVID-19 Response Kit
Help families treat, prevent, and fight disease with these supplies. This kit ($46) includes hygiene supplies and personal protective equipment like hand sanitizer, masks, soap, gloves, and more for distribution to people at risk of infection in FH communities.
New Item: Handwashing Kit
Your gift will make tasks like washing hands and clothes a priority for families. This handwashing kit ($3) provides the resources families need to stay clean and healthy. Hand soap and laundry detergent are valuable resources so that children can practice the hygiene behaviors they learn in school and from their parents.
New Item: Improved Stoves
Better cooking options make homes safer for families. Provide a safer, more hygienic, more comfortable way to cook food through improved stoves ($208). They decrease accidental burns and smoke inhalation.
New Item: Face Mask
Provide face masks ($1) to those who need them. Your gift will help prevent the spread of germs by keeping noses and mouths covered — an essential practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in many places around the world.
New Item: Water Tank
Give a water tank ($69) to families in areas where wells or pipes are impractical. Durable plastic water tanks store rainwater or water brought to the community via truck or from wells so that families can access water close to their homes.
New Item: Community Center
Bring children and parents together in a central location. A community center ($8,314) provides space for fellowship, school, meetings, and community development activities. People are able to grow, learn, and dream about the future.
New Item: First Aid Kit
Health supplies to help save lives. Each kit ($15) delivered to a family helps address critical health needs, especially when health centers are too far away in an emergency. Your gift of basic medicine and health supplies will save lives.
New Item: Deworm 50 Children
Protect 50 children ($3.50) from the harm of parasitic worms for an entire year. Children can get sick from intestinal worms found in unclean drinking water and lack of sanitation practices. By sending deworming medicine, you’ll help eliminate these worms for 50 children for a year.
What are you planning on gifting this year from the gift catalog? Check out all the new items on the gift catalog here.
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Last-Minute Gifts That Change the World
