Editor,
As a student, I know most of us do not have a lot of extra cash lying around, but we still manage to buy holiday gifts for family and friends. I would like to encourage people to think about alternative forms of giving this year.
Most of us really don't need anymore stuff, and there are a lot of organizations that help families locally, nationally and internationally that lack basic amenities such as food and clean water. You can make donations in a family member's name, and he or she will receive a notice of your gift. I have been both a giver and a recipient of these gifts, and it's now become my regular gift-giving practice.
A few organizations you can check out are Heifer International at Heifer.org and the Seva Foundation at Seva.org, which both have sustainable projects to improve standards of living for families and communities they support.
Locally, you can donate to the Roadrunner Food Bank at
Rrfb.org, or call 247-2052. Finding out about these organizations and educating others about them is a valuable part of the whole process. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change that you wish to see in the world."
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Wendy Courtemanche
UNM student
