In April, many Heifer supporters joined us to celebrate Pass on the Gift Month. Heifer's Cornerstone of Passing on the Gift allows Heifer recipients the opportunity to pass along the offspring and training to another family in need. This committment allows one gift to change an entire community.
This April, we challenged Heifer supporters to Pass on Your Gifts by giving in whatever way to pay it forward in your daily lives. Several of you wrote us and described how you honored this unique Pass on the Gift Month.
On April 18, The Hundred Mile Meal took place in Little Rock, Arkansas, near Heifer's international headquarters. Participants gathered to dine on locally-grown food and hear fresh ideas for how to "pass on the gift" of good nutrition their children. Chef Ann Cooper, author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children, spoke about farm-to-school programs and preparing healthy lunches for children.
Four other families in Redwood City, California, joined Cathy James' family for a garage sale where half the earnings were donated to Heifer. The 12 children among the families all pitched in to help with pricing, selling and collecting money. The kids will also participate in picking the animals they'd like to donate through Heifer.
Paul Ngati plans to buy a heifer and raise it at his father's farm in Nyeri, Kenya, and donate a calf to a deserving family and encourage them to pass on the gift that he has given them.
Organic Valley Family of Farms and Heifer partnered to host an Earth Dinner on the campus of UCLA. in Los Angeles, California. Hosts included Jane Kaczmarek, a Heifer supporter and well-known actress, and Evan Kleiman of "Good Food." The food was exquisite and the atmosphere was delightful. What a great way to celebrate Heifer together.
Yoga in the Park, an event held by Mary Parrott of Adel, Iowa, centered around sharing about Heifer's mission and vision. The yoga participants also rallied to donate to Heifer.
Ceil Petrucelli created a special offer for business services that included a donation for new interior design and decorating clients.
An ark made a great birthday gift for Marge Rumbaugh's husband in Reinholds, Pennsylvania. Marge set up a registry, asked for Heifer gifts to celebrate her husband's 50th, then threw quite a shindig, complete with cow balloons, cowboy hats and and ark painting with donor's signatures.
Christina Williamson of East Orleans, Massachusetts, relayed her church's celebration, which included a child lighing a peace candle and reading the story of Dan West, Heifer's founder. An offering was taken and the envelopes from an offering then arranged into a fish. The next Sunday, another child read a letter about a boy and his Heifer gift. After that service, a bake sale featuring animal-shaped cookies collected even more donations that were sent to Heifer.
Across the United States, many supporters committed to having dinner parties to support Heifer. Dinner participants were encouraged to donate the equivalent of one night out on the town to Heifer in honor of Pass on the Gift month. Committments for dinner parties and events alone have raised over $7,000 through Team Heifer, a unique way to set goals and donate to Heifer.
What great stories! These are truly wonderful ways to celebrate Passing on the Gift Month. But, of course, you can pass on your gifts every day - no need to wait until April. When we all pass on the gifts we receive, we start a cycle of change that can better the world.
