.Survival Gifts offer hope where it is needed the most.


We are just a few weeks away from Christmas. Everything is adorned in green, red, silver, gold....there is something magical about this season. It spreads joy , everywhere. The symbols, colors, decorations gives hope. We all look forward to this favorite season of the year ( plus / minus the gift giving stress !).

There are places where bows and ribbons, music, smell of hot cocoa, baked goodies blend smoothly with the giggles and laughter of beautiful families. 

There are corners of the world where ribbons are perfectly paired, baked goodies find their spots on neatly laid tables, but with nobody to hold hands and say "thanks" for the blessings.

There are corners of the world where there is no such thing as a Christmas shopping list, gift list or a table filled with the aroma of meat, spices and sweet treats.Why? Not because they don't like red and silver ribbons. It's because these sparkles don't make it even to the base of their  hierarchy of needs. Their physiological needs are still a big question.


Privileged, less-privileged and under-privileged in some ways. 


Nonetheless, everyone is BLESSED because we have EACH OTHER. The world would be a much better place if we all helped those in need. The fact is that MANY people just need their basic needs to be met, so that they can survive.


Someone across the miles needs me to make their basic needs a reality.Clean water, vaccine pack, three meals a day and clean clothes will be their dream come true. We don't need fancy ribbons, shiny wrappers or bows. We only need a compassionate heart.


Thanks to UNICEF and Plan Canada , we can give some " Survival gifts"  for people whose lives are a matter of survival.




When you purchase a Plan Canada Gift of Hope, you can personalize and print out a gift card for the person you are honouring that includes a photo and description of the gift. 

Newborn Check-Up ($12)

What you’re really giving: This gift supports the important work of community health workers who visit moms and their newborn babies within the first three days of the baby’s birth – a critical time.  The visit helps to ensure the baby is thriving and growing, and the mother is healthy and recovering well from delivery. In communities where health care centres are difficult to access and newborn mortality rates are far too high, this gift saves lives.


How to wrap it: A great gift for new parents –the gift card can be paired with a baby bottle, receiving blanket, onesie or a bib. You could also present the Gift of Hope Birth Certificate ($25) the same way.

Classroom Essentials for One Child ($17)

What you’re really giving: It may be called a classroom, but without the essentials that make learning possible, it’s just a room. Help stock it with chalkboards, maps, desks, chairs, textbooks, pencils and paper.

How to wrap it: Tuck the gift card into a journal with pens and pencils or with a great new book. You could also use this gift-giving idea for the Gifts of Hope Library in a Box gift ($60) or Classroom Essentials for a Whole Class ($250), which is a great group gift.


Vaccine Pack
With this gift, you will come between children and deadly diseases, ensuring more children have a chance to grow up. A critical pack of three vaccines. Contains: 73 Polio Vaccines, 73 Tetanus Vaccines, 83 Measles Vaccines.


Therapeutic Milk
Your gift provides 23 litres of milk - a necessity at emergency feeding centres. Added vegetable fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals make this gift a life-saver for malnourished children.


Water Purification Tablets
A single tablet can mean the difference between a child's survival and mortality. Your gift provides a family of four with enough clean water for four months. 



Christmas is all about giving hope to the hopeless, spreading joy and making peace.

“I must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.” 
― Mother Teresa

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” 
― Winston Churchill

Would you be the ray of hope in someone's life? 


Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I wrote this as I was moved by the needs that surrounds us. 

 

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