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G&G For the Holidays: Gifts That Give Back

1 Dec
2010

This post is part of the second annual NYC Bloggers Do the Holidays, where a group of New York’s top bloggers join forces to bring you the best that this city has to offer for the holiday season! Check out the list of participating bloggers below. Read them all, and you’ll have no problem navigating this city and taking it for all it’s worth…After the jump, check out my contribution: Gifts that Give Back.

‘the improvised life’: Design (or Hack) Your Own Holiday E-Cards

Manhattan User’s Guide: The Gift Guide: 21 Over $21

Markets of New York: Festive Food at New York’s Holiday Markets

Patell and Waterman’s History of New York: Christmas with Andy Warhol

We Heart Astoria: The Best Places To Shop Local – WHA Holiday Gift Guide

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Last year I gave you some tips on where to volunteer all month long (I’ve gone back and updated what I could, so be sure to check it out, and volunteer!). This year, Give and Get will be your guide to shopping for a cause-places to buy gifts while also giving back to your favorite NYC charities. Anyone who receives emails from major retailers is aware of the growing trend of incorporating charitable giving into everyday shopping, especially during this time of year. I’ve tried to compile a list of those who are making contributions to local, New York-based charities, in addition to non-profits who are offering online catalogs that benefit their own organization directly. I’ve also thrown in a few alternative gift ideas that are great for that rich relative who has everything…Read on, my friends, and get ready to knock out your gift list and good deed for the day at the same time.


For people who love kids…

- Retailers owned by participating Friends of Baby Buggy will donate 10% of proceeds to Baby Buggy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing New York City’s families in need with essential equipment, clothing, and products for their infants and young children. You’ll need a special code at checkout to make sure the donation is made-listed below:

  • Gift Hero: Carries gifts for age 0-10. Code: BUGGY2010
  • Kirna Zabete: Soho shop that carries designers such as Lanvin, Givenchy, Celine, Proenza Schouler and more. Code: KZLOVESBABYBUGGY
  • Baby CZ: A luxury line of cashmere, cotton and silk clothes & accessories for babies, children and women. Code: BUGGY
  • Felix Rey: An ultra-feiminine luxury accessories brand. Code: BUGGY10


For food-loving NYC locals…

- God’s Love We Deliver, a popular non-profit organization that delivers food daily to home-bound New Yorkers, delivers more than just meals during the holiday season. Clients receive gift baskets full of delicious treats (and meals), all delivered in shopping bags decorated by school children. You can purchase gifts from their holiday catalog, including GLWD aprons and oven mitts, wine glasses and more, with proceeds benefiting the organization. With demand for their services up 21% in just the first three months of the current fiscal year, a purchase from here will be more important than ever before.

 

Going once, going twice…

- Bidding For Good is an online auction platform that allows non-profit organizations to set up fundraising auctions for themselves that maximize their reach and potential to raise more money. You can search by cause and/or state, or just by auction items, which range from restaurant gift certificates to all-inclusive vacations, all benefiting a specific charity! This is a great site to use if you’re a fan of Ebay, or want to find a specific cause to give to while you shop..The auctions run for a few weeks, so be sure to check back for new causes and items throughout the month. Currently running is an auction to benefit the West Side YMCA Teen Center; it’s running until December 10th at 9pm- bid now!

 

For your tchotchke-loving friend or coworkers…

- Exit 9 has been called a cross between a museum gift shop and a kitschy toy store. After passing by last weekend, I can confirm that it is in fact, just that. You’ll be able to find gag gifts, iPod accessories, children’s craft kits and everything in between. My favorite were the bandaids that look like strips of bacon (which I got for my 6-yr old nephew). More importantly, they’re encouraging people to shop locally while supporting local charities. During their ’12 Days of Charity’ promotion (December 1st-12th) you’ll be able to choose which of the eight local non-profit organizations they’ve listed will receive 10% of profits. Organizations include: BARC Brooklyn Animal Rescue Coalition, GenerationOn, God’s Love We Deliver, LES Girls Club, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, Public School 58,  Public School 261, Transportation Alternatives. You can shop online, or find even more merchandise at one of their two retail locations (in Brooklyn and on the LES)

 

For the person who has everything and enough money to buy it if they don’t…

- Let’s call this person Charlie. Charlie is the hardest person to get gifts for. Unless it’s perishable, you’re likely getting him something he already has, or doesn’t want. In the past few years, I’ve taken a departure from the traditional gifts and began to give donations in other people’s names. It’s a really personal gesture that will (hopefully) make them much more appreciative of your gift than last year’s wine stopper or coaster set. More specific ideas for your Charlie:

  • Does your Charlie love the outdoors? Make a donation to MillionTreesNYC or Fresh Air Fund. An avid gardner? Help fund a project on ioby (‘in our backyards’). Whatever you choose, just be sure to Charlie that you’ve made a donation in his honor. Check out ‘the improvised life‘ blog for more tips on double-duty gifts and cards, and Cards That Give, a great source for charity greeting cards.
  • If you want to get a little more sentimental, you can request/pick up a letter to Santa (depending on your budget-gifts requested are usually under $40-maybe more than one). You can fulfill a child’s wish by sending them their gift from Santa on Charlie’s behalf. Give the child’s letter to Charlie with a note that says something along the lines of “In lieu of a gift, I’ve given this little girl the Barbie she always wanted and couldn’t afford, on your behalf..” You can get these letters from the James A Farley Building in midtown. (New York Cares runs a similar program but registration has closed)
  • If your Charlie is a little more global-minded, you can gift something even bigger, with long-lasting effects. Heifer International allows you to donate sheep, llamas, goats and more, to impoverished children and families around the world, and help them receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant. After your donation, you’ll have the opportunity to create a printable gift card or e-card to tell Charlie that you’ve honored him with a Heifer gift. (Update: It’s been brought to my attention that there are differing opinions regarding HI’s practices and their ethical merit. Read here about another point of view. Charity Navigator is one place to check on how donations are distributed by NPOs- know who you’re donating to before you donate, always)

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So there you have it.. some different places to cross people off your list while giving back to some NYC non-profits. Did I miss something? It’s likely! If you’ve got something to add, please comment below or email to info@giveandgetnyc.com.

TimeBanksNYC Studio Art Class with a Purpose

11 Jun

On Thursday, June 17th from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, a member of TimeBanksNYC  will be teaching a hands on workshop on still life and charcoal drawing. The teacher has an MFA in Studio Art, so whether you’re looking to relive those days of high school art class or want to see what life would have been like had you chosen art school over a business degree, now’s your chance to experience the real thing. Everything you need will be provided (drawing pads, vine charcoal, and kneaded erasers).

The event will take place at 119 Ninth Ave between 17th and 18th, in the conference room of Hudson Guild’s Fulton Center. It’s a members-only event, but you can join right on the spot by filling out a short application and signing the member agreement. All attendees must RSVP to eventrsvp@timebanksnyc.org or 866-244-6469 (space is limited, so don’t wait!).

This event will give you a chance to see what TimeBanksNYC has to offer and learn more about how the program works.  Through a simple exchange program, it is a way for people to share their skills, spread their passions, meet neighbors, and support each other. For every hour you volunteer your skills to help someone else in the network, you earn a credit that you can then redeem for one hour of help yourself. Want to learn spanish? Need help cleaning your apartment? There is someone in TimeBanks network willing to volunteer, for you! I recently joined this organization and am excited to begin exchanging services. You can expect a lengthy post with more details on this program once I’ve banked a few hours…

Happy Holidays from Peter Buffet

11 Dec

I recently came across a really cool digital calendar, brought to you by Peter Buffett, that I wanted to share. Throughout the month of December leading up to Christmas Day, you can go to the website and open a virtual door to reveal one way to give back to your community or contribute to global programs. Since it’s already December 11th, feel free to go back in time to December 1st and start the month a’new, to see past tips from Buffett on how to give back this holiday season. Past days have already included links to organizations like Operation Santa Claus, Women for Women International, and Feeding America.

In addition to holiday giving tips, you can also listen and download music from Peter Buffett’s new CD “Star of Wonder”, a collection of Christmas classics. You can also hear excerpts from his upcoming book Life Is What You Make It, due out in April 2010 (which I really like the cover art for).

Peter Buffett, an American musician, composer, and producer, is the second son of investor Warren Buffett. His music is largely affected by his extensive involvement in social action and philanthropy, both here in America and abroad. In 2008, Buffett teamed up with Grammy-nominated and international recording artist Akon to launch the website IsThereSomethingICanDo.com, which is dedicated to educating the public about the realities of human trafficking, using social networking to create social action.

Hungry for more festive reads? Check out more holiday tips from other NYC Bloggers, from what to buy, how to wrap it, and where to eat and drink when you’re done… All part of  “NYC Bloggers Do The Holidays”
Brooklyn Based: Home for the Holidays
the improvised life: unwrapping the holidays
Manhattan User’s Guide: The Gift Guide
Patell & Waterman’s History of New York: A little history with your holidays
The Strong Buzz: Holiday Eats Old and New
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iParticipate

16 Oct

I recently came across a new initiative from the Entertainment Industry Foundation that I wanted to share. It’s called iParticipate, and its coming soon to a television near you…

According to their website, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) “harnesses the collective power of the entertainment industry and channels its unique assets to raise awareness and funds for critical health, educational and social issues in order to make a positive impact in our community and throughout the nation”. You’ve probably seen PSA‘s from the EIF without even knowing who was responsible for them: Felicity Huffman raising breast cancer awareness, Morgan Freeman for colorectal cancer, Christina Ricci with Stand Up to Cancer. Many more have been created, and for over 65 years EIF has been educating, raising awareness, and raising money for research not only in the United States, but internationally as well, using the power of celebrity.

Their latest initiative, iParticipate, is not a surprising addition to their resume. Service and volunteerism are hot topics in our country right now, thanks to the Serve America Act and other government/city programs, so it’s only natural that a large organization like EIF would follow suit. iParticipate is a multi-year program designed to inspire a new era of service in the US. It will kick off next week on October 19th; in addition to PSA’s, the EIF has enlisted numerous television networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, to name a few) to participate in encouraging viewers to give back to their community, and prove the power of community. Many shows have written service and volunteerism into their story lines or segments (for shows like The View and David Letterman), and it should be interesting to see how each chooses to shed light on the subject, given the diversity of the 90+ participating shows, which include The Office, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, and CSI:Miami. For a full list of participating shows, you can visit the iParticipate blog on their website. One show I am most looking forward to is 30 Rock; according to a USA Today article, Kenneth Parcell (Jack McBrayer), who has embraced faux charities including Pants for Zoo Animals in past episodes, gets emotionally wrapped up with abandoned dogs from an animal shelter. I love 30 Rock, I love Tina Fey as a writer and actress, and I am excited to see how next week plays out.

In addition to the week-long kick-off, iParticipate has also created a widget (which you can pick up here) to help you search for local volunteer opportunities by zip code and area of interest. Feel free to test it out at the end of the post-it worked for me, returning about 20 listings in my area.

iParticipate will be able to reach a lot of people, using prime-time television as a vehicle for delivering their message. Whether or not it will increase the number of volunteers, I don’t know. Judging by the comments left on a lot of blogs and online news sources, it seems some people are not impressed with force-fed information about volunteerism, and are downright insulted that in the current economic climate, we as a nation are being asked to give our time away and work for free. It’s understandable, but I don’t share their sentiment. Taking a few hours out of my day to help clean up an animal shelter or serve food to a group of homeless co-citizens, doesn’t seem unreasonable, especially when there often isn’t money to pay someone to do these things. But I digress…

Regardless of the outcome, I think this is a great initiative that will undoubtedly grab the attention of the nation next week, for better or worse. Be it through subtle hints in plot lines or PSA’s during commercial breaks, it should become clear to many people that volunteering isn’t always as hard or time-consuming as they previously thought, and there are many ways to give back to your community and country.

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Reality for Good, not Bad..

11 May

Recently, while I was mindlessly searching the web for volunteering events and such, I discovered Volunteer Nation. According to their website, “Volunteer Nation is a new video series that celebrates the passion of extraordinary Americans who take action through service, volunteerism, and civic engagement.” This series will get up close and personal with volunteers from all over the country, and share their stories. I’m not sure when the first episode will be released, but I’m looking forward to watching.

Click here to watch the Season One Trailer!

Not that I don’t enjoy reality shows like ‘For the Love of Ray J‘ or ‘Tough Love’. Because really, I do. Probably too much. But I’d much rather watch the REAL reality of Volunteer Nation and see how other people are affecting the world around them in a positive way, than watch Steve Ward dole out tough love to 8 desperate women via a game of touch football.

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