After 'Black Friday' and 'Cyber Monday,' Giving Tuesday helps victims of sex trafficking
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Christian Examiner) – One of a number of Christian charities, Baptist Global Response (BGR), invites people to give donations as gifts to friends and family members by celebrating Giving Tuesday on Dec. 1.
Giving Tuesday is an event that refocuses the holiday season on charity and generosity, BGR says, asking for people to consider giving meaningful gifts that will make a material difference in people's lives.
For example, one of the gifts in BGR's catalog is a safe place for young girls for a day, which costs $10.
"Bornali became a domestic slave at the age of 5," the catalog says. "Her masters forced her to work from sunrise until late at night. When she didn't please her owners, they often tied her to a window or in a bag and beat her. After about six years, she escaped. Your donations supported a home where she could go. Give so other girls can find safety."
Founded in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y in New York City, Giving Tuesday celebrates and encourages giving on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, after a weekend that is traditionally one of the most frenzied weekends for buying Christmas gifts.
Another donation available is a sewing kit for $70 to teach a woman how to support her family with work as a seamstress.
"Saghar and her husband were happy, until he got hooked on opium," the BGR catalog says. "He became unproductive, and she had to care for the family. A BGR program trained Saghar to tailor clothing and even gave her a sewing kit at the end of the course. Donate and equip other women to open their own businesses."
FOCUS ON GIVING
The Giving Tuesday website says the event "kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving."
According to Statistic Brain Research Institute, the average consumer spent about $400 on Black Friday for the last five years. That amount could by 160 chickens, four fifths of a new house, or 40 blankets from the BGR catalog.
Other categories available in the catalog are animals or husbandry, including chickens, pigs, rabbits, milk cows, goats, and seeds. Personal care items include hygiene kits, water filters, food packets, cooking sets, and shoes.
The average consumer internet spending on Black Friday is over $150, Statistic Brain Research Institute says. That equals three pairs of pigs, 15 days of safety for young girls, or one third of a new home.
Donors may also elect to give any amount where most needed or any amount specifically designated to Middle East crises. These donations may help feed and clothe refugees.
Care especially for children is also available: donors can give medical care for a trafficked girl for a month, shelter for young girls, infant formula, or food for a child for a week.
The Baptist Global Response Christmas Catalog may be downloaded here.