Chris Read Plan Canada GOAT

Be The G.O.A.T. By Giving The Gift Of … A Goat!

It occurred to me recently, that with the hectic schedule we have been keeping, I hadn’t been budgeting in time to continue teaching the kids about the importance of giving back. We are so blessed with the ability to put our kids in the sports they want and to not worry about things like not having food on the table, that it’s easy to forget that not everyone is so fortunate.

After learning about Plan International Canada’s Gifts of Hope program and looking through the various gifts with my kids, I decided that this would be my ask for Father’s Day this year. My ultimate hope is to set an example for my kids in showing them that providing a gift for someone else can be a gift in itself.

Plan International Canada is a global children’s rights and gender equality organization, and the Gifts of Hope are not symbolic, they make a real difference. The gift you choose is the gift someone will physically receive. For instance, the $75 for a goat goes directly to a goat program that purchases goats and provides training in raising and breeding goats in countries like Cameroon. Not surprisingly, the gift of a goat was my kids’ favourite option.

While there are more than 50 gifts to choose from in the Gifts of Hope catalogue, there was one that stood out above the rest for me. Strong Dad, Strong Family helps facilitate community fathers’ groups, where men can meet to learn and talk about such topics as maternal, newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health including family planning, and men’s roles in these areas. There could be no better gift this Father’s Day than to help other dads around the globe!

It doesn’t take much to have a huge impact and with gifts starting at just $10, there’s something for every type of budget. Please take a moment to check out the Gifts of Hope catalogue and take a minute to be the GOAT (Greatest Of All-Time) for someone who truly needs it!

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Plan Canada.

32 replies
  1. Amy M
    Amy M says:

    The gift of Clean Water for Families resonates with me most. It is hard to believe that in this advanced age we live in that there are those who don’t even have access to clean water. Clean water can change the life of a family, reduce water borne illnesses and improve overall health.

    Reply
  2. joy
    joy says:

    the gift of a book (for $10) resonates the most to me (because I love to read, and books can provide education, an escape, entertainment, and imagination building!)

    Reply
  3. Pearl Saban
    Pearl Saban says:

    Medicine for Moms & Babies is a wonderful gift, among all the wonderful gifts. The next generation is looked after with such a gift.

    Reply
  4. Jess
    Jess says:

    I think the Clean water for families is one that resonates the most with me. We take clean water for granted (brushing our teeth, taking a shower, etc) and don’t seem to realize that many people don’t have such easy access to clean water. I try not to leave the water running when I’m at home because of this.

    Reply
  5. Rosanne Robinson
    Rosanne Robinson says:

    Instead of exchanging gifts at Christmas, we decided to donate goats to families in need, it’s a terrific cause.
    I like so many of the options for contributing, my favourites are: Goats, Medicine for Moms & Babies, and Clean Water for families.

    Reply
  6. Annette C.
    Annette C. says:

    I have always liked the giving of a goat or the mosquito bed nets.

    But since today is World Refugee Day, the Help Refugee Children resonates with me. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to have no home & being displaced , to not feel safe, or being separated from or losing members of your family.

    Reply
  7. Darlene Demell
    Darlene Demell says:

    SCHOOL ESSENTIALS FOR ONE CHILD would be a great gift. I think every child needs a good education today.

    Reply
  8. Tricia Hope
    Tricia Hope says:

    There are many great causes here, it is hard to choose! I think the Clean Water is most appealing to me.It is an essential to having ANY quality of life, at all. We lived on a shallow well for 18 months with 11 people. I learned to appreciate and be much more mindful of the way I use water, personally.

    Reply
  9. Catherine Robichaud
    Catherine Robichaud says:

    I think that Clean Water for Families is one that I find extremely important. Living in North America we take having clean water for granted and don’t realize how difficult it would be if we couldn’t just turn on the tap and get clean water.

    Reply
  10. travelbuds
    travelbuds says:

    I think the gift of clean water would be the ideal gift as it’s a necessity. We take it for granted but I went through a hurricane years ago down in the Caribbean (where I lived at the time) and we didn’t have clean water for weeks. Now we could go and buy water, which I did, but I had no water to clean with or anything else. I can’t imagine what it would be like not to have clean drinking water.

    Reply
  11. John C
    John C says:

    The gift of a book resonates with me the most because my kid loves to read. It’s great edu-tainment for them without the screen time.

    Reply
  12. Dianne G.
    Dianne G. says:

    The gift I like is School essentials for one child. I believe that education is a very helpful way to get people out of poverty. A basic education should be a right for people no matter where they live so that is the gift I would give.

    Reply
  13. Bonnie Toll
    Bonnie Toll says:

    Although most of the gifts seem wonderful, I’d lean toward Strong Dad, Strong Family .
    After reading your description of this one, I’d love to give that one in your honour, as a thank you for your blog and for supplying a lot of useful and entertaining reading.

    Reply
  14. Debbie Watson
    Debbie Watson says:

    Wow!! There are a few that resonate with me. Clean water and food would be on the top of my list. Healthy tummies and clean water are the beginnings of health.

    Reply
  15. Angela Chiao
    Angela Chiao says:

    ‘Train a female health worker’ resonates the most with me, because I have many female friends and family who perform healthcare duties to support others. It would be a blessing to help strengthen health systems and improve healthcare for communities in need.

    Reply
  16. Julie Barrett
    Julie Barrett says:

    There are so many gifts I’d love to be able to give but I’d especially love to provide safe delivery for newborns, baby blankets and medicine for moms and babies. I feel like the health and safety of babies and kids should come first

    Reply
  17. Amber Young
    Amber Young says:

    I like the food basket gifted the most. There is nothing pleasant about being hungry all the time. I hate that for so many people it’s still their every day reality.

    Reply
  18. Betty S
    Betty S says:

    The gift of School Essentials resonates with me and that fact that it is a matched gift even makes it double best. Learning is a valuable tool and having the supplies to do it with is so great

    Reply
  19. Jenness M
    Jenness M says:

    The gift of clean water resonates with me as these people struggle for clean water and all we have to do is turn the tap on.

    Reply
  20. Jennifer P.
    Jennifer P. says:

    The Girl Power gift really resonates with me because I have daughters and the thought of them not being given proper healthcare, education etc. just because they are girls makes me really sad. Would love to give this gift to help empower girls who would otherwise be neglected or forgotten.

    Reply
  21. Robyn Bellefleur
    Robyn Bellefleur says:

    The Medicine for Moms & Babies resonates with me the most. My daughter was a preemie and had issues so I can definitely relate.

    Reply
  22. Pam
    Pam says:

    as an educator, I want everyone to be able to access education and have the tools they need so the essential school items resonates with me.

    Reply
  23. Kristi
    Kristi says:

    The Clean Water for Families gift is one that I would love to give because I know how important having clean water is to everyone’s health and well-being. And having that access really eases the burden for families.

    Reply
  24. Sunshine H
    Sunshine H says:

    I think school essentials, b/c education (especially of girls) helps change the family, then village, then region, in such a positive way.

    Reply
  25. Suzi
    Suzi says:

    I totally understand because I was meaning to comment on your post and I’m just now finding the time to respond! 🙂

    As someone who works in education, I think that getting school essentials is invaluable being getting an education can help the children change their families and help provide for a better life for them all!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *