Sometimes the best gifts are ones that you can’t simply pull off a shelf. As you’re thinking about gifts for your family and friends, we have some suggestions for gifts that would delight your loved ones. And the best part is every gift in our Christmas Giving Guide helps share God’s love with others around the world.
Here are five unique gifts from the guide you can give your loved ones this Christmas.
1. For the musician in your life
Music is an expressive art form, a fun pastime and a powerful cultural connection for people all over the world. When you buy this gift for someone in your life who loves music, you’re supporting programs like an afterschool music program in Palestine, where youth like Sara Ghabbash from Aida Refugee Camp are learning to play the oud and other musical instruments traditional to Palestinian culture.
2. For the green thumb in your life
You can plant seeds both literally and metaphorically this Christmas by buying the gift of planting a garden. You’ll help families grow more food in sustainable ways and improve their ability to make a living. When you buy this gift, you support projects like the one in El Salvador, where farmers Manuel de Jesus Elias and Maria Magdalena Perez exchange seeds and build seed banks, helping restore biodiversity and preserve Indigenous crops on their farms.
3. For the teacher in your life
Teachers know better than anyone that education is an essential part of living a rich life. This gift helps ensure that girls like Trina Hagidok of Bangladesh have access to the education they need, something that far too many young girls are prevented from accessing. Build a better world, one student at a time this Christmas!
4. For the crafter in your life
Do you have a loved one who stockpiles yarn, always seems covered in paint or handmakes your gift every year? For your creative soul, buy the gift of a sewing machine to give people like Rejoice Alojo a chance to stitch their way to a brighter future. This gift means women like Alojo can sew clothes themselves, earning money that provides food, medicine, clothing and school fees for their children.
5. For the foodie in your life
If you know someone who’s always volunteering to cook for the holidays, this could be the gift for them. In some parts of the world, school meals might be the only time a child eats in a day. This gift makes sure students like Amida Yunis James at Loreto Rumbek School in South Sudan don’t have to worry about learning on an empty stomach.