The 2021 Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts that Support Refugees
Written by Grace Benton, Refugees Thrive International Board Member.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could both give the perfect, thoughtful gift and support people in need at the same time? Good news — you definitely can, and we’ve made it easy! In 2017 and 2019, we at Refugees Thrive created Holiday Gift Guides to make your holiday shopping both impactful and easy, and now we are thrilled to release our 2021 gift guide!
In a year that has been tough for everyone, we’ve done the research so you don’t have to. Here’s a thoughtfully curated list of four simple ideas for how to shop responsibly for gifts that generate impact for refugees across the world — for planners and last-minute gift-givers alike!
1. Purchase Products Created By or In Support of Refugees
MADE51: MADE51, an initiative of the U.N. refugee agency, connects refugee artisans with local social enterprise partners to design, make and market their crafts across the world. Their beautiful products include masks, bags, jewelry, toys, and home decor.
More beautiful products available at https://shop.made51.org/.
The Refugee Artisan Initiative: Based in Seattle, Washington, the Refugee Artisan Initiative partners with immigrant and refugee women to foster an inclusive, prosperous transition to the US through artisan skills training in zero waste and small batch manufacturing. Their diverse range of gorgeous products include masks, tea towels, reusable snack bags, pet toys and beds, scrubs, jewelry, and more!
Check out their website for more lovely gift ideas: https://refugeesarts.org/.
Refugees Thrive International: Remember Refugees Thrive in your gift giving — T-shirts, mugs, and more are available featuring stunning original calligraphy by our very own board member Reagan Maher including the phrase “Refugees Thrive” in 12 languages spoken by refugees at our operating partner St. Andrews Refugee Services (StARS) in Cairo, Egypt: Fur, Amharic, Oromo, Arabic, Dinka, Nuer, Moro, Zagawa, Tigre, Somali, Tigrinya, and Bilen. The front features the Refugees Thrive International logo. All proceeds from this sale go to nonprofit organization Refugees Thrive International to support StARS’ important work with refugees seeking safety.
All products available at https://refugeesthrive.creator-spring.com/?.
2. Give a Cookbook that Celebrates Recipes by Refugees and Immigrants
In the Kitchen Without Borders cookbook, chefs from around the world — all part of Eat Offbeat, a catering company staffed by immigrants and refugees who have found a new home and new hope through cooking- offer up to 70 authentic, surprising, nourishing recipes. The food has roots that run as deep as its flavors, celebrating the culinary traditions of Syria, Iran, Eritrea, Venezuela, and more. More than a collection of delicious foods from around the world, this inspiring cookbook- with its intimate chef profiles and photographic portraits-offers a glimpse into the journey of displaced people and highlights the profound link between food and home. To top it all off, 2% of all book sales are donated to the International Rescue Committee.
Interlink Publishing, a Massachusetts-based independent publishing house, has collaborated with bestselling cookbook author, photographer, and food writer Barbara Abdeni Massaad (Man’oushe: Inside the Lebanese Street Corner Bakery) — together with nearly 80 acclaimed chefs — on a humanitarian cookbook project whose profits will be donated to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR to provide urgently needed food relief for Syrian refugees. Acclaimed chefs and cookbook authors the world over have come together to help food relief efforts to alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees. Each has contributed a recipe to this beautifully illustrated cookbook of delicious soups from around the world. Contributors include: Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Anthony Bourdain, Mark Bittman, Alice Waters, Paula Wolfert, Claudia Roden, Sally Butcher, Ana Sortun, Greg Malouf, Aglaia Kremenzi, Joe Barza, Carolyn Kumpe, Wendy Rahamut, and many others.
3: Give a Tax-Deductible Donation to an Organization Working with Refugees in Honor of Someone Else
Support Refugee Families in Egypt with Refugees Thrive International:
Refugees Thrive International is a 501(c)(3) organization that raises awareness about and provides support to refugees in countries of asylum. Our operating partner in Egypt, St. Andrews Refugees Services, provides critical legal, psychosocial, medical, and educational aid to thousands of refugees every year. Just $25 pays for a refugee child to see a doctor! Make a donation in honor of a loved one to RTI, and RTI will send a lovely handwritten postcard to the recipient of your choosing!
Feed a Refugee Family with the International Rescue Committee:
Rescue Gifts by the International Rescue Committee make a huge difference for people affected by conflict and disasters. When you honor loved ones with gifts from the IRC’s Holiday collection, you can help refugees establish roots in their new communities; help a family prepare their own warm meals, and help provide essential nourishment for families in places where food is scarce. $80 stocks a refrigerator for a refugee family, and $68 provides emergency food aid to children. Simply select your gift, enter the information of the person you wish to honor with your gift, and select a printed card or e-card to be sent to them.
Provide Critical Medical Support to Displaced People with Doctors Without Borders:
Doctors without Borders (MSF) provides critical medical support and aid, and is often one of the first organizations on the ground following a disaster or crisis. MSF works in a number of countries that have experienced massive population shifts due to conflict, including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala and in transit through Mexico. They also care for large numbers of displaced people in the world’s leading host countries for refugees, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Lebanon, Uganda, Egypt, and Ethiopia. When you donate to MSF, you have the option of selecting a Tribute or Honor gift option, and a tribute certificate or E-card will be sent to the person(s) of your choosing.
4: Use Amazon Smile to Support Refugees as You Shop
AmazonSmile is a great way to support refugees this holiday season at no extra cost to you! Select Refugees Thrive International as your charity of choice at smile.amazon.com, and the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of your purchase for all of the eligible purchases you make on Amazon.
Happy holidays from all of us at Refugees Thrive!
Refugees Thrive International envisions a world in which all refugees are safe and healthy, refugee rights are respected and protected, and refugees are empowered to make their own decisions about their future. Read more about our mission and values here.
Neither the Refugees Thrive International organization nor any of its board members endorse any of these products or services. Refugees Thrive International has not been compensated to promote these items in any way.
