I Go 100

I remember when I was a child, at around this time of year we would take turns poring over the Sears Christmas catalogue. It was a magical book filled with all kinds of wonderful gifts and toys, and since we lived in a small town, it was a big source for my items on Santa's list. I think I even had the pages memorized, or at least the dog-eared ones with the circles around my favorite things.

Now that I'm older (much older) I find myself more interested in what I can give than what I get. And that is how I stumbled across the Plan Gifts of Hope catalogue last year. This program provides an avenue for people who, like me, want to help people who don't have the basic necessities that we take for granted. The neat thing about the these gifts is that they address the real needs of a community. For example, who would think of buying a latrine as a gift? Until I saw this, I never knew that a lack of a girls-only bathroom is one of the main reasons adolescent girls in the developing world stop attending school. 

Last year's Gifts of Hope catalogue included the Build a School in Mozambique Project for $40,000. It was the biggest gift in the catalogue and the price tag was intimidating for an ordinary person like myself. At the time, this gift tweaked my interest and it remained stuck in the back of my mind for months. It seemed like such a big number, but relatively speaking it was so cheap – to build a whole school for 40 grand. Well, the idea wouldn't leave me, and when I decided to do something good for the world, the idea was right there waiting. Doing this just feels so right – I can't explain why. I've always thought of learning and education as one of the most valuable things we have. And one of the greatest gifts. You will probably see that this particular gift is no longer advertised in the catalogue, but Plan is supporting me in fundraising for this gift – and I know we will make it happen.

Whether you decide to sponsor me or not, I really encourage you to look at the Gifts of Hope website. If anything, it will open your eyes to what things people need – how about $25 for a birth certificate that legally proves a child exists and gives him or her basic human rights?