Back to most recent news releases • Browse archive: 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • Email this story

Church World Service Best Gift Catalog: Gifts with Meaning

CWS Best Gift Catalog Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT

October 9, 2006

Church World Service is helping shoppers catch the true spirit early with a new selection of ideas for alternative gift giving for the holidays-or for any occasion that calls for a gift. The global humanitarian agency's new Best Gift Catalog includes pages of gifts that make a statement beyond just thinking of you.

This year, instead of giving more things, give more meaning, says Church World Service Executive Director and CEO the Rev. John L. McCullough. The idea of changing the world or even just changing a life is appealing, but its also overwhelming for most people. Meaningful gift giving--giving a gift that matters to someone who is struggling--can be life-changing in some parts of the world. Imagine the honor to someone you care about when you give in his or her name a gift of something that can make life a little less hard for someone in need.

Like a set of jerry cans that a family who has lost everything in a disaster can use to carry clean water for drinking and cooking. Or gardening tools like hoes and shovels to help struggling farmers grow crops to feed their families. Or even a simple health kit, containing essential personal hygiene items, like a bar of soap, a washcloth, toothbrush and comb for a person in a shelter or refugee camp.

All these cost $25 or less, making them easily affordable and appropriate for giving by either children or adults. These and scores of other gifts, ranging from water pumps and community hygiene training for entire villages for $1,000; a year of literacy training for a village woman for $40; or reconstruction of an entire school in Africa for $14,300 are available through the 2006 Best Gift Catalog from CWS.

The whole idea of our alternative gifts is to make them affordable for people in all income groups and attractive to people in all age groups, says McCullough. The11-page catalog contains such a variety of gifts that shoppers may find it difficult to settle on just one. In anticipation of that, CWS also encourages groups--like classes, scouting troops, and community organizations to pool their resources and give a special gift from the catalog when they are searching for the perfect way to honor someone.

For six decades, the global humanitarian agency has been working to help end hunger and poverty. And to all who would like to contribute to that work, McCullough says, This is a way for you to help needy families in a way that honors the special people in your lives while improving the lives of people struggling to exist on very little.

Gift prices represent the average cost of providing the particular tools, supplies, services or training to needy families. Each purchase represents a tax deductible contribution to CWS and donations will be used where needed most.

Catalogues can be ordered at (800) 297-1516 or viewed online at www.cwsbestgifts.org. Gifts may be ordered by mail, telephone or online. A gift card describing the work of Church World Service can be included with each gift of $10 or more.

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

Back to most recent news releases • Browse archive: 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • Email this story