I really don’t like Christmas as an obligatory gift-giving occasion and source of stress. These are my last-minute donations in honor of family members. (Bunch of links coming; don’t know how many anti-spam triggers will get flipped.)

• Zoe Empowers — empowering orphans and vulnerable children, primarily in Africa, but also in India. I’ve been involved for years. These kids are a-ma-zing. (My mother-in-law and wife turned me on to this.) — https://zoeempowers.org/

• Haiti Reforestation Project — Empowering community development in rural Haiti. My sister has been involved for years. — https://haitireforest.org/

The two above empowerment efforts are 100% run (in-country) by indigenous staff. Zoe enters a community only by invitation, and they work with local community leaders to identify kids most likely to benefit. There’s a lot more, but this is a toot.

• Al Otro Lado — Immigrant services in California. My father-in-law, a retired Methodist minister, has been involved for years. — https://alotrolado.org/

• The Florence Project — same, but mostly Arizona. (This was my own choice.) — https://firrp.org/

• Brooklyn Community Housing and Services — because I got panhandled on the subway. (This wasn’t last-minute, but it was earlier this year, so I’m throwing it in.) — https://bchands.org/