12 Days of Christmas

Christmas means a lot of things to different people. And to those that don't celebrate Christmas, it must feel like a time when everyone just goes kind of bonkers. Even though I personally am not a huge fan of the holiday because of all of the commercial insanity that surrounds it, I do LOVE the central concept of Christmas, which is one of giving, sacrifice, and unconditional love. Whether you like it or not, Christmas is based on the gift of God to the world, which was both a display of love and later an immense sacrifice. I think that (especially) during this time of year it is important for us to mirror that kind of giving heart, no matter what social or religious background we come from. And not to share with just the people who we feel deserve it, or that we love directly, but to those that may be in much greater need than us and we have never met.

So in saying that, over the next 12 days I'll be posting links to organizations that make a tremendous and sustainable impact on the communities that they serve, and that you will be able to contribute to, no matter what your budgetary restrictions may be. (And if you are still feeling a bit Scrooge-ish, you can look forward to the tax deduction)

Without further ado, I present to you the International Justice Mission Holiday Catalogue!

IJM works tirelessly to prosecute those trafficking, purchasing, abusing and exploiting men, women and children around the world for labor and/or sex. This organization represents thousands of trafficking and slavery victims in court and assists them in reestablishing their lives as free-people. Be sure to read stories and testimonials on the site or in the catalogue. This is really a great organization working hard to protect trafficking victims and end human trafficking and exploitation.

Happy shopping. Stay tuned for tomorrow's organization. Bendiciones.

-Educated & Unemployed