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Tags: · Heifer International
‘Tis the season for giving, but what how does the environmentally-conscious shopper weave a bit of good stewardship into all that holiday generosity?
Before making a list of energy-efficient gadgets or rushing out to buy your spouse a brand new electric car, consider a little more expanded approach to gifting “green.”
For several years now, my wife has given our eco-friendly offspring (and a few friends) a donation to Heifer International. You’ve probably heard of Heifer: They’re the folks who literally provide heifers (young cows), goats, sheep, llamas, rabbits, chickens and geese – among other good chain-friendly creatures — to impoverished families, hoping to help lift them up and enable them to be more self-sufficient.
So how, you may ask, is this green?
These animals help turn dependent people into ones who can provide their own food, which is about as “sustainable” as it gets. In Heifer International’s case, that heifer is a source of milk for children and the potential to sell excess milk to pay for food, clothing and other necessities. With proper planning, the heifer can produce offspring that can help the gift keep on giving over multiple generations.
Tags: · 350.org, American Farmland, Audubon Society, Earth Day Network, Environmental Defense Fund, Heifer International, holiday gifts, International Rescue Committee, National Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, Nature Conservancy, Pacific Ocean, Rainforest Action Network, support environmental groups, World Wildlife Federation
By Harriet Blake
Green Right Now
Unlike other retail gift suitors seeking your holiday dollars, Heifer International is on a mission.
It wants to “pass on the gift” of a donation to a family in need in the developing world, giving them not short-term relief but a way to help themselves — a source of food, animals to raise, a hold on a small business.
Started in 1944 by Midwestern farmer Dan West, Heifer’s unique concept literally began with a heifer, a young female cow. Not only does the cow provide milk for one family, its offspring can then be given to other families to do the same. In this way, Heifer International has assisted 8.5 million people in more than 125 countries since its inception.
Tags: · donations, green building, Heifer International, holiday gifts, LEED platinum building, non-profits, sustainable buildings, world assistance groups, world hunger
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