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Give the gift of giving this holiday season

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Updated 6:21 PM Saturday, November 27, 2010

We’re on the final crumbs of Thanksgiving leftovers here at my house and ready for the next phase of holiday madness.

Yes, I’m ready to shop. You should see my outfit. Fuzzy slippers, baggy jeans, old pink fleece sweatshirt. My hair is in a ponytail and I don’t have an inch of makeup covering the somewhat dark circles under my eyes. (Did I mention I had 22 friends and family here for Thanksgiving?)

I’m not sounding like someone you want to be seen with at the mall? Not to worry. I’m not going near the place. Don’t get me wrong. I love the spirit and feeling of giving this time of year. Hannukah, Christmas, Ramadan, Kwanzaa. Whatever your holiday is, I want in.

It’s just that I’ve broken up with giving stuff. Yep. Done. Over.

Stuff and I had a long and sometimes satisfying relationship, but over the years, that passion began to wane, my heart started to drift and I couldn’t help but think there had to be something better out there.

I believe I found it. I now give the gift of giving.

This started years ago as I became clear on what I wanted to receive. I love throwing my annual holiday party in December but have no need for another bottle of wine or a smelly candle. Instead I ask guests to pick up a gift card from the local grocery store or pharmacy.

The gift cards go to  “My House” (www.my  houseweb.org ), a home for medically fragile foster babies. Donna Carson and her staff use the cards to buy food and medicine for the babies. No bottle of wine can give me the high I get from dropping off those $2,500 in gift cards.

Are you getting the idea? Want to rearrange your shopping list? You might want to check out Kiva.org (www.kiva.org ), where you can make small loans to a budding entrepreneur in a developing country.

This is especially great if you still love the shopping part.

Find the exact country or type of business you want to support. Follow the entrepreneur’s journey as he or she builds the business and pays the loan back.

Yes, you get your money back! It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Sound like something your friends would like? Give them a Kiva gift card and let them decide where the loan money will go.

It’s the same idea for DonorsChoose.org (www.donorschoose.org ). I’ve shared this great website before. Pick a public school teacher here in the United States and help meet the needs of an educator’s classroom projects.

Finally, I know this is supposed to be the hap-hap-happiest time of the year. But we all know someone who is having a tough time. An illness in the family, loss of a job, stress of a new baby, military service. Each of those can be a huge load any time of year. Add the holidays and, well, it can all be too much. That’s why I love WhatFriendsDo.com  (whatfriendsdo.com ).

The mother-daughter team of Fran and Aimee Kandrac started it. It’s a one-stop destination for anyone wanting to organize help for a friend in need.

My friend, Carol confided in me as her husband was going through cancer treatment. “Daryn, I know people mean well, but if I see one more chicken casserole, I think I’m going to scream!”

What Carol really longed for was someone to stock up on diapers for her newborn baby or compile a stack of interesting magazine articles she could read during those endless hours in the hospital.

WhatFriendsDo.com provides the easy-peasy tools for your friend to ask for what they need and the rest of us to sign up for what we can do. After all, that’s what friends do, right? Help each other out in times of need?

So, go toss out that shopping list featuring sweaters, boxes of candy and picture frames. Throw on your finest fuzzy slippers, your comfy sweats and let’s go shopping!

Daryn Kagan is the creator and host of DarynKagan.com, an online community that features a daily Web cast of inspirational stories. The former CNN anchor and news reporter is the author of “What’s Possible! 50 True Stories of People Who Dared To Dream They Could Make a Difference.”

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