Start a new holiday tradition - Give the Gift of Clean Water Looking for an alternative to giving material gifts — something that feels more in tune with the true spirit of the holidays? Gifts of Service is a wonderful choice.
Imagine sending a beautiful gift card to your uncle, let's say, that explains that you've made a donation in his honor, and now a family in a poor rural community in Guatemala will have clean, safe water at their home. Those are the kinds of things you'll find in the Gifts of Service catalog — gifts that fund the work of Seva Foundation, a group based in Berkeley, California, that creates better health and new opportunities for people in need.
Seva’s dynamic and life-altering programs are happening all over the world. In Asia and Africa, Seva is building affordable eye care programs that have restored sight to over two million people suffering from cataract blindness. Here in the U.S., Seva supports Native American groups working on community development projects and health education. And in Guatemala and Mexico, Seva connects rural communities with clean water, midwifery care and educational opportunities.
Clean Water for a Better Future
"For people living in rural areas of Guatemala and Mexico where Seva works, finding safe water to drink can be a real challenge," says Julie Rinard, Director of Seva's Community Self-Development Program. "About 60-70% of the rural population do not have potable water in their homes. Without ready access to clean water, people are at risk for poor health and disease. In fact, about 80% of all illnesses in developing countries are directly related to poor sanitation conditions and the lack of accessible water systems."
Seva Foundation is working to change that. For example, in a community of northern Guatemala called Tamariz, Las Vegas, Seva partnered with a local water development group there called AGUA and provided resources and organizational support to help them build a new water system. The collaboration was a resounding success. Over the past year, AGUA worked with community members to study existing piping, plan a new system, buy materials, install chlorination equipment, and train local people to maintain the system. Now, 85 families have fresh, clean water piped to their homes, along with 42 public water taps at locations throughout the community.
Gifts of Service Here's how it works. You browse through the Gifts of Service catalog and select a gift to celebrate a friend or loved one. The gifts are actually services, such as bringing cataract surgery to a person in remote rural regions of Nepal, or providing pipes and tools that connect a family in Guatemala to a new clean water system. There are about 30 different gifts to choose from, with a wide assortment of prices ranging from $20 to $15,000. Seva then sends a beautiful card to your designated recipient, with a description of the gift and a personal message from you. Then Seva uses your tax-deductible donation to perform the service that you selected.
The best way is to shop for Gifts of Service is to use the online store on Seva's website. They also distribute a free 22-page print catalog, which is beautiful and fun to browse, and great for people who want to order gifts through the mail or by telephone. Your gift cards will arrive at your recipient's home 7-10 days from when Seva receives your order. Or, for an extra charge, they can rush your gifts via UPS 2-Day or Next-Day service.
To place a Gifts of Service order or to request a free catalog, visit www.seva.org or call 1-800-223-7382.
|
||
