As a kid, I remember getting toy catalogs in the mail at Christmastime. I’d quickly grab a marker and start flipping through the colorful pages, circling every toy I wanted Santa to bring me.
Back then, I probably thought every boy and girl around the world did the same thing … but that’s not true. Instead of picking out the latest electronics or games, they’re just trying to survive another day.
Impoverished families need essentials like food, clean water, and shoes that fit this Christmas — all of which are in the World Help Christmas Giving catalog!
If you’re looking to help someone in need this holiday season, here are 10 simple gift ideas that have the power to transform lives:
1. Chickens
A chicken is the gift that keeps on giving, providing families in need with nutrition and extra income for years to come
Chickens are among the most popular gifts in the catalog, and it’s easy to understand why. A single chicken can produce up to 200 eggs every year!
Since many impoverished families struggle to put food on the table, they often suffer from malnutrition. But chicken eggs introduce a powerful and reliable source of protein into a family’s diet, as well as additional income in their wallets. Plus, chickens’ nitrogen-rich fertilizer can help families grow more food.
2. Goats
Like chickens, goats can sustain families previously struggling to survive
Goats are another animal that can be incredibly beneficial to families in need. One dairy goat can produce nearly 1 ton of milk every year, making it an excellent source of calcium and vitamins for children.
Like chicken eggs, extra milk can be sold for income or used to make high-demand products such as cheese, butter, and yogurt.
3. Sheep
By providing a sheep, you’ll help men, women, and children stay warm this holiday season!
Instead of a puppy in a big red bow, people in poor, rural villages could really use a sheep this Christmas.
Sheep are similar to goats in that they provide families with nutrient-dense milk to stay strong and healthy. But that’s not all! Their wool can be used to make warm clothing and blankets, and new lambs provide extra income throughout the year!
4. Clean water
Help transform a life by providing one person with the simple gift of clean water
Clean water is one gift you’ve probably never needed to ask for at Christmas. Unfortunately, communities around the world still don’t have access to this critical resource we often take for granted — and it’s one of the easiest things to give!
For just $15, you can provide one person with clean water for an entire year.
Your gift will protect people from waterborne diseases, keep children in school, and allow parents to work instead of spending all day fetching water. Your gift will also help farmers care for their crops and animals, which will, in turn, help the entire community live happier, healthier lives.
5. Bibles
Share the Good News around the world by placing a Bible in someone’s hands this Christmas
Speaking of water, you can also introduce someone to the Living Water this Christmas. In places like Iran, China, and North Korea, Bibles are extremely rare, so many believers have never owned a copy of God’s Word before. Others have never even heard about Jesus!
Every $10 you give will place a Bible in one person’s hand, allowing them to read about Jesus’ birth on that first Christmas night for themselves. And since Bibles are often shared with friends and family, each one you give will impact around five people!
6. Shoes
Shoes aren’t a fashion statement for children living in poverty — they’re an essential that many can’t afford without your help
It’s hard to believe that some children around the world don’t have shoes — but you can help meet that need this Christmas season!
Your gift of a pair of shoes will help a child like Johncy. Without shoes, Johncy was constantly getting sick during cold, rainy weather. She used to walk barefoot everywhere, which meant her feet were covered in painful cuts and blisters. Thankfully, Johncy received a brand-new pair of shoes to protect her feet!
You can do the same for another child. And since shoes are part of the school dress code in many developing countries, your gift will also help a child attend class!
7. Bicycle
People in poverty are often confined to their villages, but a bicycle will give them the transportation they desperately need!
Families living in rural areas need transportation to reach places beyond walking distance, like work or church. That’s what makes a bicycle a life-changing gift!
A bicycle can open the door for job opportunities outside a village, help carry more goods to market, allow pastors to reach more people with the Gospel, and cut travel time in half when it matters most — like when a family member needs to see a doctor.
8. Sewing machine
A sewing machine can help someone escape poverty by allowing them to start their own business
One gift that will give men and women better job opportunities is a sewing machine.
Clothing is a universal need, making tailoring a reliable job in any country. But many seamstresses and tailors living in poor communities can’t afford their own sewing machines. By providing a sewing machine, you’ll help someone become independent, allowing them to grow their own business and provide food and education for their family.
9. Refugee relief
Your gift can be the difference between life and death for a refugee struggling to survive this winter
Christmas is just a few weeks away, so you’re probably busy decorating, shopping, and meal planning. But please don’t forget about refugees who are starving, freezing, and separated from their loved ones this holiday season.
Many Afghan families are still displaced within their own country because of the Taliban takeover. And Ukrainian refugees are still struggling to find food and shelter as the Russia-Ukraine war rages on. But you can help meet their urgent needs!
By providing refugee relief for a person from Afghanistan, Ukraine, or another high-conflict area, your gift will help them survive the difficult days ahead and show them God’s love.
10. Where needed most
When you give where needed most, your gift will DOUBLE to provide life-changing aid for 2x as many people!
Haven’t found the perfect gift yet?
If you’re not sure how you want to help men, women, and children in need this Christmas, give where needed most! This option will make the greatest impact because every $1 you give DOUBLES thanks to a $75,000 matching gift!
That means you’ll help 2x as many people in the most urgent situations. When disaster strikes, your gift can provide a family with critical relief. When a child is starving, you can provide food just in time. And when someone is sick, your gift can help ensure they get the medical care they need.
Of course, this is just a tiny sample of the many gifts available in the World Help Christmas Giving catalog.
You won’t find any board games, stuffed animals, or high-tech gadgets inside, but you WILL discover meaningful gifts that can provide people with help for today and hope for tomorrow.
Please give one of these special Christmas gifts to help transform a life forever.