WINTER 2009
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MORE SPIRIT, LESS STUFF
Happy Holidays, friends! We are very much enjoying our full-on winter wonderland on our skis, bikes and sleds through the ice fog, hoar frost and heaping mounds of snow! We send you warm wishes along with this holiday gift guide – which is a little less about stuff and a little more about spirit.
A::B has the honor of expressing our solidarity by sharing three percent of our profits and volunteering with organizations that do some great work locally and far and wide. Here are few of our favorites. May you enjoy the beauty and sprit of this special season with your loved ones.
IN ALASKA ...
tundra women's coalition
Congratulations TWC! They just opened a new shelter and outreach facility in Bethel, Dec.17, to serve the people of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. This is especially important since it’s basically the only facility of its kind serving an area larger than the state of Oregon with some of the highest rates of interpersonal violence in the country. Now that they’ve worked so hard to open the new facility, they need light bulbs, area rugs, beds, play area equipment and big-ticket furniture items. You can also make a donation to purchase a gift to make the holiday at the shelter a little brighter for a family affected by domestic violence or sexual assault. Call Eileen or Diane at 907.543.3444 for gift ideas. A::B is happy to support TWC in promoting a healthy social environment for the women, children and men of the Y-K Delta!
Winter bike fest
Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage (BCA) is hosting the first Annual Winter Bike Fest and Fundraiser. Our year-round, frosty-faced bike commuter, Tomas Jensen, invites us all to a bike festival! BCA wants to share the fun of winter riding in their first annual Winter Bike Festival and Fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 13. There will be prizes, a keynote speaker, a movie and more. Visit the website to learn more.
alicia iden nature trail
Our very own Tanya Iden is raising funds develop the Alicia Iden Nature Trail in the Baxter Bog Park. The East Anchorage trail honors her mother who died after battling cancer in 2005. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Tanya shared that the trail is a reflection of her mom’s spirit. “She worked hard with her neighbors for many years to preserve Baxter Bog. I’m proud to continue her hard work,” she said. Treeline Construction donated sustainable materials and built a scenic overlook and now, Tanya’s family is partnering with the neighboring Aurora Waldorf School to create interpretive signs to teach students about the bog’s ecosystem. Tanya and her family are hoping to raise $20,000 to develop the nature trail and the signage.
copper river watershed project
The Copper River Watershed Project was created to benefit communities along the Copper River, in the upper basin and delta of the Copper River. Based in Cordova, the project is inspired by a vision of helping diversify the economy of this unique region while sustaining its natural resources and cultural heritage.
great land trust
Great Land Trust is a private, nonprofit land conservation organization founded by residents of Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. They work with willing landowners and other partners to conserve Southcentral lands and waterways essential to the quality of life and economic health of communities. The Trust welcomes writers, graphic designer and photographers to volunteer to help protect Southcentral Alaska's open space, important habitat, wetlands, waterways, forests, farmlands, and places of cultural, historical, and recreational value, and natural ecosystems.
anchorage library foundation
The findings of the Anchorage Public Library Community Plan are unsettling – our public library is in a struggle for survival. If left unchecked, current funding trends will lead to a library system that is at best mediocre and at worst irrelevant. But it doesn't have to be that way. The plan offers exciting and empowering recommendations on how we can turn our library into an indispensible community resource. Stayed tuned to learn how you can help implement the plan and make a contribution to the Anchorage Library Foundation so they can continue to promote, fund and support the long-term viability of our library.
BEYOND ALASKA ...
givebackamerica.org
GiveBackAmerica.org was created to raise money for charities at no additional costs to their volunteers and supporters. The website features hundreds of major retailers (Amazon, Home Depot, Barnes&Noble) who donate varying percentages of your purchase to charities of your choice. Search by state, charity or specific cause and start shopping!
PARTNERS IN HEALTH
Partners in Health provides a preferential option for the poor in health care. They care for patients, alleviate the root causes of disease in their patients’ communities, and they share lessons learned around the world from Peru to Haiti to Rwanda and Boston. They partner with local sister organizations to bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need and they work to alleviate the crushing economic and social burdens of poverty that exacerbate disease. PIH believes health is a fundamental right, not a privilege. (If you’ve read Mountains Beyond Mountains, you’ve heard the riveting true stories of PIH’s founder, Paul Farmer. That also makes a great holiday gift. PIH is listed as a charity through Give Back America – see above.)
harlem children's zone
The Harlem Children's Zone Project is a unique, holistic approach to rebuilding a community so that its children can stay on track through college and go on to the job market. The goal is to create a tipping point in the neighborhood so that children are surrounded by an enriching environment of college-oriented peers and supportive adults, a counterweight to the street and a toxic culture. Harlem Children’s Zone projects are provided to children and families absolutely free of charge, which is made possible by the support of donors.
heifer international
With gifts of livestock and training, Heifer helps families improve their nutrition and generate income in sustainable ways. The animals are “living loans” and exchange for their livestock and training, families agree to give one of its animal’s offspring to another family in need. This in-turn giving is a cornerstone of their mission to create an ever-expanding network of hope and peace. Your gift will help provide livestock, seeds or training to a family struggling with hunger and poverty.
Kitegang
This nonprofit toy company develops new ways to help kids be kids in some of the toughest places on earth. For kids who live in an orphanage, slum or refugee camp, play is important to survival. Kitegang's first partners were young people in a Nairobi slum who produced their first generation of indestructible kites. In addition to financing school fees and providing extra income, the organization worked with the youth to learn what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur in our global economy. Now, the gang trains people to make imaginative new toys and establish related local businesses. Kitegang helps finance newly developed toys, and gives 75 percent of the toys to local organizations working with traumatized children.
Episcopal Relief & Development
Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States, guided by the Episcopal Church’s principles of compassion, dignity and generosity as they work to heal a hurting world. They provide relief in times of disaster and promote sustainable development by identifying and addressing the root causes of suffering. If you’re a coffee drinker, consider ordering their organic, shade-grown and certified fair trade coffee, Bishops Blend. It protects the earth while ensuring that coffee and tea growers are paid a living wage and have access to affordable credit. We’ll drink to that.
unicef
Purchase actual life-saving gifts – important items like insecticide-treated mosquito nets, nutritional nut spread, water pumps and treatment kits, soccer balls and polio vaccines. They’re shipped directly from the supplier to kids in the 150 countries UNICEF serves. The organization has been at it since 1946, providing children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education and emergency relief. And, you have the option of sending a beautiful UNICEF photo card with your message to a recipient.
Oh Eco-Christmas Tree, Oh Eco-Christmas Tree
We have the option in Alaska of sustainably harvesting our own local Christmas trees with a little guidance from the Department of Natural Resources. Tanya and family headed out to the Matanuska Valley Moose Range and found this little Charlie Brown delight.
The lucky little of tree of our dear Thea is decorated with garlands of paper rings recycled from old drawings her son Noah, 3, artfully generated throughout the year.
And after your tree has served you well in celebration, give it back – to the earth. Recycle it by dropping it off Dec. 28-Jan. 15 at clearly marked spots in Carrs parking lots in Anchorage, Eagle River and Palmer. Make sure to remove all the decorations so it can be processed into wood chips for trail cover, erosion control and mulch by local nonprofits and civic agencies. Boy Scouts will pick up trees for a small donation. Call 868.8899.
