Something Good

We've been running with sort of a Holiday theme this week, and I wanted to go ahead and continue that. So far, we've taken a look at the things for which we are grateful; and some of us have used our right to free speech to send a message to the elected officials who represent us. Today we're going to look at how to do Something Good that will make other people feel thankful and appreciated at the Holidays.

A while back, I put out a call for suggestions of artists and causes we can support with our gift-giving dollars this year. December is such a time for giving gifts, and I think that following this suggestion helps us to give twice as much cheer for our money!

The fact of the matter is that most of us are going to be giving gifts during the Holiday Season, right? Since we're already going to be spending our hard-earned dollars, I wanted to suggest that we do so in a way that is responsible and lovingly thought-out.

One way to use your money to do Something Good and give twice as much cheer is to buy from an individual artist instead of from a big corporation. Many of these artists struggle to make a living by selling their work. Others use the money earned to support their "habit" and purchase art supplies to keep making beautiful things to send out into the world. Heck, the world can always use more beautiful things! Consider buying hand-made artwork for the people on your shopping list this year. Not only does it help support the artists, but the "wow factor" on these types of gifts is very high. Here are some suggestions I have:

Jewelry/Textiles/Painting

This particular artist is an incredibly generous person who really deserves some good karma. Her work is beautiful, and if you don't see something on the site that fits your needs, she does custom work, as well. Check out Phoenix Fire Designs for beautiful handmade jewelry and an interesting variety of other items.

Take a look at God's Eye Handmade Blessings by Katie. I have several knitted items by this artist, and they all have a wonderful hand-crafted feel to them. I personally think that every baby in the world needs one of those pumpkin hats!

As beautiful as Maria van Bruggen's drawings are, one of the things that most impresses me is that her site is in English, despite it being her second language! You will find some lovely whimsical work at Elfie's World.

While there isn't time for her to create a whole quilt for you before the end of the year, I would still encourage you to look at the work Kaysi already has finsihed and up for sale. You can see her pieces at Creative Wanderlust. I've actually seen Kaysi's work in person (even quilted with her once or twice), and I can tell you that it is just beautiful.

Literature

A couple of Christmases ago, I gave nearly everyone I know a copy of Jeremy Richards' An Inaccurate Theory of Everything spoken word CD. They all loved it, and I was thrilled to get to support this great artist. Check out his books and CDs at jeremyrichards.com. This guy has serious talent.

Good Causes

Holiday giving doesn't just have to be about tangible items, either. Many nonprofit organizations allow you to make donations in someone else's honor. Consider giving to one of these great causes in someone else's name and then presenting them with a card or certificate when gifts are exchanged. Check out local organizations in your area such as food banks or homeless shelters; or consider supporting national or international groups with your holiday funds.

Check out the Network for Good, if you want to find a particular cause to support.

Another option is to shop for items via a cause's web site. For example, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has a catalog of gifts on their site. Order what you want, and a portion of the proceeds will go to to help them treat children.

Brand-Name Stuff

If you really feel like you need to give brand-name stuff during the holidays, then look into Project Red. You can purchase items from Gap shirts to iPods and beyond; and much of the profit goes to distribute AIDS medication in Africa. I definitely encourage you to take a look around the site.

These are just a few suggestions on how we can use our money to support individuals and great causes at a time of year when we were going to be spending it anyway. I really love this idea for getting more "bang for your buck." I know some of these artists personally and hope that by encouraging you to buy from them, it will help their families have an even better Holiday Season, along with yours! Do Something Good by not just throwing your dollars into the corporate machine this year. Take an interest in where they're going and use them to do as much good as possible.

Do you have any other suggestions for where we should spend our money this year? Feel free to add them in the comments section, so we can all do Something Good with our money and our effort this Holiday Season.