A thick envelope arrived in the mail addressed to me. It had all semblance of a staunchly official document. Was it an unpaid bill? Notification of my stolen identity? Maybe I won a trip to Fiji!

None of the above.

Or, depending on the way you look at it, far better than any of the above.

A Gift-Giving Manifesto

Let me backtrack. My partner and I aren’t big on giving each other gifts for traditional holidays–at least not materialistic gifts. We’re fond of surprising each other with unexpected gifts that are given spontaneously because they’re a genuine expression of how we feel. We also don’t want to be pinned down by too much stuff. He has his guitar and golf clubs, and I have shelves and shelves of books (categorized as “stuff” by some people, perhaps, but not me). And really, when we look at the world around us, we realize that while there may be things we want, there’s not a whole lot that we need.

A Gift that Transcends Time and Place

So when I reeled in my imagination and actually looked at the envelope, I saw the return address: Children International.

A story immediately unfolded. It featured a nine-year old girl in one of the poorest regions of Chile. Her mother was deceased; her father, uninvolved. She lived with relatives. Her favorite hobby? Painting.

No jewelry or perfume—no matter how expensive or elegantly wrapped—ever inspired the sheer gratitude I felt holding the contents of that gift from my partner. The gift of sponsoring this child evoked a sense of connectivity that defied the distance between the U.S. and Chile. All the bad-hair days I fret over, the longings for an exotic vacation, and the occasional drudging attitudes I carry to work evaporated.

While I hope the sponsorship will make a positive impact on her life, I’m already certain it has on mine. Her picture has claimed its spot on the fridge amongst our eclectic postcards and the photos of our nephews and nieces. And now when I check the mail, the dread of bills and the desire to flip through catalogs are eclipsed by my eagerness to receive my first letter from her.

Resources for Sponsoring a Child

Children International is one of many nonprofit humanitarian organizations focused on caring for the health, education, and well-being of children in adverse circumstances. Children International’s assistance—in all areas, from health to education to community sustenance and vocational training—has been delivered to over 1,000,000 poor children. Currently, more than 300,000 children in 11 countries are aided through Children International’s sponsorship programs.

Countless other nonprofit organizations strive to ameliorate the lives of children around the world. While I searched for independent nonprofits without a religious association, these are just a few examples from the plethora of options available:

• Save the Children
An independent organization dedicated to helping children in the United States and 110 other countries.

• Plan International
Works in 49 developing countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and directly supports over 1,500,000 children and their families.

• Plan USA
Part of a global alliance of more than 60 countries supporting child-centered development, child rights, and the well-being of children.

• CARE
Supports youth through the CARE for the Child program and advocates other humanitarian causes.

• The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Works in 190 countries and is part of the Global Movement for Children.

More general resources for charitable gift-giving include the following:

• Oxfam International
Not exclusively focused on children, but works to end global poverty and injustice.

• Guide Star
A database listing 1.7 million nonprofit organizations and encouraging transparency by providing detailed information about charities. Registration on the site is required, but there’s no cost.

• Idealist.org
Reference site and forum supporting the exchange of nonprofit resources and ideas.

A Worthwhile Investment

I suppose now’s the part where I throw in that overused infomercial pitch: “For the cost of only…” Or perhaps I employ the cliché that says “give a gift that keeps on giving.”

But let it surmise to say that while the gift of sponsoring a child may not be entirely tangible, it is exceedingly inspiring, overwhelmingly gratifying, and certainly the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever received. I’ll eagerly wait for an envelope stamped “airmail,” will cherish the nine-year old handwriting scrawled across the page, and will continue to appreciate that this gift came with no return receipt or designer label.

[Photo by ||!prliignore11||]