Food Gifts That Give Back
Whether you are preparing for Christmas, Hanukkah, or another winter celebration, gift giving is a big part of the holiday festivities. Sure, you can give your loved ones that gadget they always wanted, but what if your present could delight more than just your lucky recipients? Giving a food gift from a company or brand that makes donations back to various communities in need can be a gratifying way to make everyone happy this holiday season. Check out these delicious and socially conscious food gifts that are perfect to pass out during the season of giving.
Nudo Olive Oils
In addition to gifting a tasty array of flavored olive oils in gorgeous packaging, you can give the gift of an olive tree adoption that will reward the recipient with fresh olive oil. The idea is that the consumer knows which tree is theirs and therefore knows where their oil is coming from, forming a real relationship between the grower and the consumer. Also, the owner of Nudo has an autistic son and has found that his involvement in the olive oil making process (picking the olives, pressing the oil, etc.) has helped him in his development. She now has plans to expand the farmhouse, which is based in Liguria Italy, so that families with autistic sons or daughters can stay for a holiday in an environment they believe benefitted their son. Proceeds from the olive oil sales will enable to the family to offer the farm-stays for free.
Prices vary.
Women's Bean Project: Six Soup Bundles
Give any gourmet gift from the Women's Bean Project and you'll be helping impoverished women get into the workforce with job readiness training and individualized job placement options.
Prices vary.
Cookies for Kids' Cancer
Gift your guests or someone you love tasty cookies from this organization, and you'll be funding research for "five of the nation's leading pediatric cancer centers to advance the development of less toxic, more effective treatments for children battling cancer." When one box of cookies isn't enough, you can give the Box of Hope ($89.99, free shipping), which has a dozen each of a variety of cookies (Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookies, Liam's Lemon Sugar Cookies, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies) and gives 100-percent of its proceeds to fund cancer research.
Divine Chocolate
A countdown to Christmas can be both delicious and socially conscious. This tasty advent calendar provides the recipient with the story of Christmas and a few "melt in your mouth" candies. All proceeds from the Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar (three-ounce box $4.99; 24-pack of three-ounce boxes $100.99) will go towards providing notebooks to school children in Ghana.
Greyston Bakery
The Greyston Bakery does more than just donate money to their community — they are helping to build it up. Buy brownies from this bakery and you'll be supporting the bakery in its mission to provide jobs, workforce development, low-income housing, supportive services, childcare, after-school programs, tenant services, and community gardens to local residents.
Prices vary.
Baron Cooper Wines
Who doesn't love wine for the holidays? You'll feel even better gifting it knowing that a portion of this company's proceeds go to BestFriends.org, which is a humane society for rescue dogs. The wine is named after the family's rescue dog, Cooper, a Manchester terrier who has become a beloved member of the winemakers' family.
REDS
- 2010 Red Wine Blend SRP/Bottle: $13.99
- 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon SRP/Bottle: $14.99
- 2012 Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi, Calif.) SRP/Bottle: $12.99
- 2012 Pinot Noir (Central Coast, California) SRP/Bottle: $24.99
WHITES
- 2013 Sauvignon Blanc SRP/Bottle: $10.99
- 2012 White Wine Blend SRP/Bottle: $12.99
- 2013 Chardonnay SRP/Bottle: $11.99
Baron Cooper Wines are available nationally where wines are spirits are sold.
Hot Bread Kitchen
This is more than just a bakery; this is a business that provides low-income, foreign-born women with an opportunity to thrive in the workforce. By buying from Hot Bread Kitchen, you're not only giving the gift of delicious bread to a lucky recipient, you're helping secure the futures of women across the country. Pledge $100 and you'll receive
a shipment with a "dashing duo of Ryes: Classic Corn Rye to eat with your pastrami and Grindstone Rye, a dark, German-style rye chock-full of grains for the perfect smoked salmon tartine. Stow your bread in a limited edition reusable cloth bread bag."
You'll even be emailed with a recipe from the upcoming Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook.
The Republic of Tea
If your recipient is a tea aficionado, there is a chance they have heard of The Republic of Tea. And while this premium tea outlet has hundreds of products that can cater to any kind of tea lover, they also offer '"non-profit teas." A portion of the proceeds from each of these items will be donated one of their non-profit partners, Room to Read, Sunny Hills Services, or the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
One Hope Coffee
For a coffee lover, there really is no such thing as "enough." Give a gift that keeps on giving while it gives back! One Hope Coffee monthly subscriptions deliver one, two, or three one-pound bags of fresh roasted coffee catered to your recipient's taste each month. Half of the profits of every bag sold will go towards a new charity each month!
Prices vary.
Love with Food
Food really is the best way to tell someone you love them, so why not send them a little physical and emotional nourishment this holiday season, and do some good at the same time? Love with Food is a monthly subscription service that delivers new, seasonally appropriate organic snacks to your recipient's door. With every monthly boxed purchased, Love with Food, they'll donate a meal to several food banks, such as the Feeding America Network and Share Our Strength — No Kid Hungry.
Subscriptions begin at $10 a month