12 Days of ... GOOD GIVING

Each day from now until Christmas Eve, Life & Style will highlight a gift that can make a difference in the world. Giving one of these presents can help feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, rescue wildlife, restore the planet. Giving these gifts can make many people happy, including you.

Today’s Gift Idea: Help families around the world become self-reliant by purchasing, in someone’s name, a gift animal--as small as a flock of chicks or as large as a water buffalo--from Heifer Project International. Choices from the gift catalog include a flock of ducks or geese, a hive of bees, a trio of rabbits, a family of sheep, a pig, goat, heifer, water buffalo or--this year’s favorite--a llama. Prices range from $20 to $500, or up to $5,000 for an ark, which buys you two of everything. Or you can simply buy a share for as little as $10. The person on your holiday list gets a festive card that explains the gift.

The Payoff: A cow means milk every day to hungry children in Uganda, and chickens supply a family in Guatemala with nutritious eggs. Heifer Project International, which also provides training in the gift animal’s care, has helped more than 1 million impoverished farm families since it was founded in 1944. It is currently sponsoring 130 projects in 35 nations including the United States. Those who receive gift animals become donors themselves when they pass along their animal’s offspring to other needy families.

Place Your Order: Call (800) 422-0474.