Alternative giving is a form of gift giving in which the giver makes a donation to a charitable organization on the gift recipient’s behalf, rather than giving them an item.
Each year at Christmas Old First provides an Alternative Gift option for those who may be searching for a special way to acknowledge someone in their life. This year our Alternative Gift option will support UCC Global Ministries Caribbean Initiative.
The Caribbean Initiative’s Embrace the Spirit campaign will last through Epiphany. Our Caribbean brothers and sisters celebrate Three Kings Day through gifts, baking a “King Cake”, and taking time to reflect on the joy and hope which filled the Three Kings as they journeyed from the East. All funds for alternative gifts will support Haiti’s House of Hope.
The Ecumenical Foundation for Peace and Justice (FOPJ) is a non-profit, ecumenical, Christian organization that sponsors the House of Hope in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. House of Hope is a program for children laboring as domestic servants (“restaveks”), and also assists young moms, single girls, and elderly women who have been abandoned, by providing them with a safe place where they can learn social skills such as conflict resolution and a professional trade. House of Hope also has a broader program to promote a peaceful resolution to conflict within the community through leadership development for community leaders and former gang members.
An Alternative Gift for House of Hope provides a life-changing impact:
- $25 can provide school supplies
- $50 can provide 120 meals for children—one day’s worth
- $100 can provide construction materials to rebuild homes damaged by Hurricanes
I will have a table set up on December 17 before worship and December 24 before the morning service for you to purchase Alternative Gifts and ask any questions you may have about this project.
We will continue to collect alternative gifts until Epiphany! We are waiting for Global Ministries to confirm they will provide cards to be sent to your recipient to make them aware of the gift you have made in their name.
If you would like to give a gift online, a card (or ecard if you prefer) will be sent from Global Ministries to your recipient. The link for online giving is: https://donate.globalministries.org/alternative-christmas In the Theme/Designation line be sure to write House of Hope or Caribbean Initiative.
Thank you,
Billi C.
