modom (palindrome guy) wrote:

> Kathleen's road emergency kit gift suggestion is a good one.
>
> I'd like to add that for people who find themselves giving things to
> family members who most likely don't need anything (say, you gave them
> a road emergency kit last year), a charitable donation makes a lot of
> sense.
>
> Keeping it on topic, you may want to donate to Feding America
> (formerly Second Harvest): http://feedingamerica.org/
>
> Another worthy cause is Heifer International, which uses cash
> donations to deliver food animals like goats, geese, honey bees, etc.
> to needy communities around the world. http://www.heifer.org/

Seconded. I love Heifer International and have made several memorial
donations to them.
>
> I was surprised to learn recently that a community garden in Dallas
> that caters to the needs of SE Asian immigrants (mostly elderly
> Cambodians and Laotians) is supported in part by a gift from Heifer
> International.

How cool is that?! I would like very much to see more support for local
producers for low income clients, especially where hands-on
participation is encouraged.

Based on my own experience, my own kids were and are much more
interested in eating vegetables and herbs they'd grown themselves than
they are in store-bought produce. There is little or no financial
advantage to growing a couple rows of radishes, a row of sweet corn, a
few tomatoes, some peppers and a plot of basil in your back yard, but it
teaches them where food come from and how wonderful it tastes when it's
absolutely fresh.