Change.org 2010 Holiday Gift Guide

THIS WEEK on CHANGE.ORG

Change.org’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide

Plus: For the Modern-Day Abolitionist • For the Educator • For the Environmentalist • For the Animal Lover • For the Foodie

Do you know where “Black Friday” got its name?

It refers both to retailers being “in the black” and the mass disruption, chaos, and in some years even deaths that have resulted from the buying stampede on the day after Thanksgiving.

Whether or not you sat this Black Friday out, we’ve got the cure for the holiday shopper disenchanted with the darker side of American materialism: gifts that advance social change.

Welcome to Change.org’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide. Across the Change.org network, we’re featuring great gift ideas that advance the causes you and those close to you are passionate about.

While the holidays can be a time of excessive consumption, they can equally be a time to use our resources to do a lot of good.

For a sampling of gift ideas for positive change, see the list below. For the full Change.org 2010 Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

For the Modern-Day Abolitionist in END HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Made By Survivors sells beautiful, handcrafted jewelry, bags, and home goods made by survivors of human trafficking in India and Nepal. This type of craft, traditionally developed by men, gives female survivors an empowering skill to keep them out of slavery and generate income to rescue and protect others. Read more »

For the Educator in EDUCATION

Give a gift card through DonorsChoose.org, where teachers across the country can ask for classroom supplies and gadgets that they can’t afford on their own, and your love ones can choose a specific project to fund. Read more »

For the Environmentalist in ENVIRONMENT

Want a junk-free mailbox? Precycle will remove a name from most junk mailing lists for a mere $10. Not only will your gift reduce someone’s junk mail by at least 80%, it will save some of the 93.5 million trees destroyed each year to create all that clutter. Read more »

For the Animal Lover in ANIMALS

Want to support animals this holiday? Consider adopting a virtual pet from Defenders of Wildlife or National Wildlife Federation, which offer virtual adoptions of wildlife with kits including photos, certificates, stuffed animals and more. It’s the perfect way to honor your pet or animal-loving friend.  Read more »

For the Foodie in SUSTAINABLE FOOD

Sign up for a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership. A CSA entitles members to a regular delivery or pick-up of fresh, seasonal produce from a farm near them – a healthy choice for consumers and for the planet. To find a CSA near you or your loved ones, use LocalHarvest’s online CSA locator. Read more »

Happy holidays,

– The Change.org Team