JourneyOnline
Sick of giving people socks or undies for Christmas? Mardi Lumsden explores gifts that give more than once.
Christmas gift giving can be a stressful and expensive exercise, especially if purchasing for people who already have so much. A number of organisations provide alternative Christmas ideas and ways to help others when it comes to gift giving. Here are a few Uniting Church and church partner options.
UnitingWorld
National Uniting Church agency UnitingWorld has one solution for those who want to give gifts that have a wide impact, the Everything in Common gift guide.
With everything from chickens to toilets, the range of gifts in the Everything in Common catalogue expresses UnitingWorld’s connection with our church partners in Asia, Africa and the Pacific in the most practical of ways providing access to health care, education, water and nutrition.
UnitingCare
The Target and UnitingCare Giving Box (formerly Operation Santa) appeal encourages people to buy gifts and make donations to help spread Christmas cheer.
UnitingCare and Target have collected over 1.7 million gifts in the last 23 years, with 61 488 gifts and $78 665 worth of gift cards donated at Target stores across the country last year spreading Christmas cheer to thousands of disadvantaged Australians.
The appeal runs across the country in Target stores until Christmas Eve. UnitingCare staff and volunteers collect the gifts and ensure they are distributed to those who need them in time for Christmas morning.
Uniting Church Foundation
The Uniting Church Foundation’s $10 for 10 appeal supports learning pathways for academically competent but financially disadvantaged Year 10 Indigenous students in Uniting Church schools across Queensland.
This is part of the Foundation’s mission area of Indigenous Education and aims to assist students to complete their studies or training, assisting in their dreams to study and pursue professional employment.
Act for Peace / National Council of Churches
Uniting Church President Rev Dr Andrew Dutney has called on people to support refugees and vulnerable people around the world by making a gift to the Christmas Bowl, an activity of the National Council of Churches’ international aid agency Act for Peace.
Funds raised by this year’s appeal will provide food rations, as well as vegetable seeds, tools and training to help families living in refugee camps on the Thai-Burma border have enough to eat until it’s safe to return home.
actforpeace.org.au/christmasbowl
Other Christian organisations that provide gift catalogues include World Vision and Compassion.
