Tired of giving her chocolates and flowers? Looking for something a little more substantial than a sweater? Charity gifts are a wonderful way to delight your mum with thoughtfulness and love. Not only will their benefits go directly to those who need them most, but your mum will also be quite touched to realize that she raised such a generous and forward-thinking child.
If you're looking for great charity gifts for Mother's Day 2014, here are just five options to consider.
1: Bicycles
In rural, poverty-stricken communities where cars don't exist and buses are often unreliable or too expensive for regular transport, bikes become precious commodities for riders of all ages. Not only will kids enjoy the freedom of recreational pedaling, but doctors, teachers and farmers can also use them to reach distant patients or cross dangerous terrain.
2: Vaccines
Almost completely eradicated in developed nations, measles and other diseases are one of the leading causes of death for children under 18 in third-world countries. By funding a case of vaccines to be sent to needy communities, you'll be giving a gift that literally saves lives.
3: Water Filters
Contaminated water is a big concern among those who are forced to drink out of dirty wells or polluted streams. Perhaps most frustrating is the fact that water filters are cheap and easy to make; it's just difficult to get them out there and in the hands of the needy. Are you willing to change that?
4: Mosquito Nets
Mozzies are more than just a nuisance in countries without good healthcare. They carry typhoid, which can ravage entire villages, and they're also the cause of malaria, which kills a child every minute in Africa. If you pay for mosquito netting to be shipped out to these critical zones, you can save another mum from the pain of losing her child to a preventable disease.
5: School-in-a-Box
Even when children want to learn, they're often limited by a lack of educational supplies and facilities. Schools-in-a-Box will rectify both. Small and portable, they can be utilized in classrooms and informal teaching groups alike, and every box comes with basic equipment like books, pencils, rulers and blow-up globes. Even the box lid doubles as a blackboard!
Your mum is a wonderful, compassionate person. Doesn't she deserve a great gift this Mother's Day? Consider one of these five presents to spread her love and goodwill to all corners of the world.
Wow, this is such a great idea and so meaningful. I think my Mom would be more than happy to forgo her flowers this Mother's Day for a worthy cause.
Great ideas for a mom who had all she needs but wants to contribute something instead!