Three ways you can make a difference this Christmas

By ChristianWeek | December 3, 2021

Sometimes the Christmas season can be so busy that we get carried away with crossing gifts off our list and preparing for the festivities.

But this year, you and your family can celebrate in ways that are not only festive, but life changing. As you’re shopping for gifts and decorations this Christmas, here are some ideas that incorporate the reason for the season.

In this January 2020 photo, Ayalew Misgan, a grade 7 student, drinks from a well constructed in 2017 in western Amhara, Ethiopia. His family has benefited from this well for over three years.
MCC photo/Daniel Stoltzfus

1. Give a gift to someone in need across the world

This holiday season, you can share God’s love with vulnerable people around the world by giving any of the gifts available in Mennonite Central Committee’s Christmas Giving guide. From mosquito nets to sewing machines, there’s something for every budget.

If you love being cozy and warm over the holidays, why not give the gift of warmth and comfort? For $25, you can provide thermal blankets, heaters, clothing and shoes to Syrian families.

Or, if you want to team up with your church to impact an entire community, you can give a whole well. It costs $5,200 to ensure children in Ethiopia like Ayalew Misgan (pictured above) have access to clean water all year round.

Shop the giving guide.

2. Shop at MCC Thrift

You can also buy gifts for people closer to home, gifting gently used secondhand items from one of the 40+ MCC Thrift shop locations in Canada.

Not only are you helping care for creation by shopping secondhand, the proceeds from MCC Thrift go right back into MCC’s ministry at home and around the globe.

For a unique and eco-friendly gift idea, try gifting homemade baked goods in a container from your local MCC Thrift shop. Or if you’re artistically-inclined, add a piece of original art or a photo to a thrifted frame for a beautiful gift.

If you want more ideas on how to incorporate secondhand items into gifts, decorations and wrapping, you can download a free resource, Twelve Tips for a Thrift Christmas.

Download Twelve Tips for a Thrift Christmas.

3. Shop fair trade gifts and decorations

Ten Thousand Villages stores provide an easy way to gift beautiful, artisanal, fairly traded products to your family and friends. Every purchase of a beautiful handmade gift for your family contributes to a fair living for artisans around the world, helping them support themselves and contribute to their community.

Whether you’re looking for jewelry to bring some sparkle to your holiday outfit, want some chocolate to stress eat after Christmas shopping or are looking for ornaments to adorn your tree, Ten Thousand Villages is the place to go.

You can shop in person in four locations, or online across the country.

Find your nearest Ten Thousand Villages.