Gifts That Give Hope Fairs: Malls With a Purpose

I cannot think of a better way to jump start your quest for meaningful holiday shopping than to attend a Gifts that Give Hope Fair.  Gifts That Give Hope fairs are typically held in public venues in the United States where shoppers meet and learn about non-profit organizations, make a donation to a cause of their choice in honor of a friend or loved one, and receive an attractive card with a description of their charitable donation. Gifts That Give Hope is a non-profit organization that assists service, civic, community and faith-based groups plan events to raise awareness of needs in a local or global area, secure donations and encourage volunteerism, while providing unique shopping and giving opportunities. 

As of today, there are Gifts that Give Fairs throughout Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.  I am going to highlight the Lancaster, Pennsylvania fair today and hope some of you might be inspired by its success to the point of starting a fair in your city.  The Lancaster Alternative Gift Fair is made possible by a group of tireless volunteers and has 30 non-profit participants this year.  The Lancaster Alternative Gift Fair, only three years old, succeeded in raising $26,039.00 last year for non-profits! In addition to buying alternative gifts, you can also buy fair trade items at the fair such as  Delicious Peace coffee, Divine chocolate, Canaan Fair Trade olive oil, and Bead for Life jewelry. 

Whatever your passion is, you will find a cause that will pull at your heart at the Lancaster Alternative Gift Fair AND through its online link.  You can contribute for a water well to be built in an orphan village in Rwanda for  a mere $50 (4-More).  Through Central PA Animal Alliance, $10 provides treats for dogs at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill, and $50 provides training for a rescued dog to become a service dog for a veteran in need.  $50 also provides for a one night stay in a shelter for a victim of domestic violence and her children (Domestic Violence Services of Lancaster County).  Want to be part of the abolition of child sex slavery and exploitation?  $20 pays for ONE MONTH of safe housing, therapy, nutrition, education and medical expenses for a rescued child in South East Asia (Love146)!  

Perhaps you are searching for the perfect gift for a chef? The Solar Cooker Project of Jewish World Watch seeks to protect refugee women and girls from rape and other forms of violence. Women and girls who have fled the genocide in Darfur, Sudan are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence while performing the critical task of collecting firewood for cooking. For $20.00, you can provide a family with a solar cooker and training, which negates the need to collect firewood and thus protects the women from needless exposure to rape!  

There are too many amazing projects to list here, but please check them out on the Lancaster Alternative Gift Fair link.   Perhaps you will be inspired to start a new gift fair in your city and thus enable dozens of non-profits to obtain the funding they need to further transform the United States and beyond.  As one of the Lancaster Alternative Gift Fair co-chairs pointed out to me, one of the best parts of participating in an alternative gift fair is not the act of buying or selling alternative gifts, but rather "getting to see people make connections and build relationships in the community." Use an alternative gift fair to identify new (and old) great causes that you can support and join today!
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