I first learned about The Heifer Project from the wonderful "Dr. America" -- Professor Jim Farrell of St. Olaf College, who featured it in one of his radio essays on WCAL. Since then, I've loved the idea of working to end hunger by donating the cost (or part of the cost) of an animal (in particular, one that can give milk or lay eggs) that can be a sustainable source of food and income to an impoverished family and community. Animal well-being guidelines help ensure that a donated animal is suited to the environment and that recipients care for it appropriately, and the recipients promise to share the offspring of the original animal with others in need. It's truly a gift that keeps on giving. And it's a charming opportunity to sit down with children, talk to them about hunger and poverty, and together choose a donation they can really relate to: a heifer, a goat, a sheep, a llama, a water buffalo, a flock of chicks, ducks or geese, or even honeybees -- a choice that will strike a chord with any young person who has seen "Bee Movie."Check it out; that's all I'm going to say.
Happy new year, dear readers.
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