I am proud of my 11-year-old granddaughter. For several years she has been helping me select gifts for people around the world through Heifer International.

This year she wrote:

“My choices for…this year are, 1 trio of rabbits and the gift of honey bees. I chose the bunnies because they quickly multiply to 72 bunnies after one year. The honey bees are becoming extinct and people need bees to make honey.”

Her mother told me that Gilena made the choices entirely on her own after doing the math herself because she wants to help a lot of people at once.

In order to make choices Gilena read a gift catalog from a magazine that I must confess, I seldom read. The magazine, World Arc, details the impact that the gift of animals has on the lives of people living in extreme poverty.

Last week I dropped a copy of the magazine into my suitcase as we left for a lovely vacation in Mexico. This time I did read it and I was blown away by the stories.

One story, “End Hunger Now! Why we can — and must — change the world” pointed out that the technology to end hunger exists now. What’s lacking is the awareness that this is a solvable problem.

As I read it I realized that what Gilena and I are doing together is that we’re both learning about the solution to the problem. Then it
dawned on me that most of my friends are in a position to do the same thing I’m doing. Here’s what you can do.

If you are about to buy gifts for a child who already has an abundance of everything, try something different. Go explore the Heifer International Gift Catalog together. Use this link and click on “the most
important gift catalog in the world” in the upper right-hand corner.

See how many possibilities there are to help other people help themselves. Make a donation. Even a small donation can make a big difference.

Help a child you care about grow into a caring adult who knows that he or she can make a tangible difference for others.

P.S. At this fun and stressful time of year, you may find this article helpful. Just click to take a quick look at “What Do You Say When the Answer Is No?”

Laurie Weiss, Ph.D. is a Master Certified Coach and communication expert. Dr. Weiss has spent 35 years helping clients resolve conflict in business and personal relationships. Take a look at Being Happy Together: How to Have a Fabulous Relationship With Your Life Partner in Less Than an Hour a Week.