Glam Shopping Beat: Whether You Celebrate 8 Days or 12, Here are 10 Amazing Gifts That Truly Give Back. FASHIONTRIBES GIFTS & SHOPPING BLOG

Glam Shopping Beat Column for the week of 12-11-06 - by Lesley Scott:

How many of us really need more stuff?

While it's always fun to receive a present, most people will admit that it's the giving that's far more fun.  So imagine giving a gift that truly goes to use. Myriad great organizations, causes & charities all have  gift programs that let you make a donation in someone's name. From helping plant trees, to irrigating farm land, giving an impoverished family livestock that will enable them to feed themselves and even start a micro-business, to toys for less fortunate youngsters, housing, and any other cause you can think of - it's true what they say: it's better to give than receive.

The Top Ten best charities for giving a gift that truly gives this year:

From cows to camels, crocodiles, a water pump, or even an emergency toilet, Oxfam America Unwrapped has a roster of truly cool gifts that have no chance of being returned.

   Customize a "Charity Gift Basket" around a cause-related theme, such as homelessness, human rights or the elderly. Each basket from JustGive.org features four charities in that common area of concern.

Send an Elvis e-card to honor someone you care about from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for critically ill children. It's an amazing place where no one pays for treatment beyond what is covered by insurance, and little ones without insurance are never asked to pay.

For something that won't quickly be worn out, forgotten or tossed aside - for years to come - a Gift from the Heart contribution to Habitat for Humanity International will provide much-needed materials, supplies and support to make the dream of a decent, affordable home a reality for those in need...extending your love to others you may never meet!

Give a gift that reflects your beliefs. Charity Navigator has helpfully ranked charities so you can see at a glance who are the highest & lowest-rated charities in myriad areas, from Animal Rights & Welfare, to the Environment, Children's & Family Services, Civil Rights, Community, Disaster Relief, and Diseases & Disorders.

6,000 things to do, see, taste, learn & experience - and benefit others while you're at it. Amazon.com has set it up so just by shopping using a special link, a portion of the sales go to JustGive.org.

Give a needy tot a shiny new toy through the Marines' Toys for Tots program.

Google it! Google Checkout makes it easy to give: simply donate to any participating organizations - including Doctors Without Borders, the Global Fund for Women, and the UN Foundation - and they'll even add another $10 to your first donation of $30 or more. Plus, 100% of the funds go to the designated charities.

Give a Charity Gift Certificate card. Choose from an e-card, personalized certificate or plastic gift card, and let the recipient choose their charity.

Create an online gift registry at Heifer International and help multiple families in need. This amazing program has helped countless people in 115 countries by donating a heifer (a young cow who hasn't yet given birth) to a family in need, with the stipulation that they don't fully own it until they donate any female offspring to another familiy in need. Heifer also donates sheep, rabbits, honeybees, pigs, llamas, water buffalo, chicks, ducks, goats, and geese.

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