2018 Northern Virginia Alternative Gift Market to Benefit Local, Global Organizations
Embodying the spirit of the holiday season, the 17th annual Northern Virginia Alternative Gift Market brings together local and global charities in Reston, Virginia on December 1 for a giving expo. Here donors can meet with representatives from 30+ charities to learn about the work that they do and how the donors' tax-deductible gifts will be used to improve the lives of others.
RESTON, Va., Nov. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- This holiday season, be a light in the darkness. The 2018 Alternative Gift Market (AGM) and Craft Fair lets you provide light and hope in your community and around the world by supporting local and global charities. Organizations taking part in the AGM offer donation opportunities in pre-determined amounts that cover the costs of food, shelter, clothing, education, and other basics for those in need. Examples include $50 for a night of shelter for a woman and two children in crisis, $25 for a month of health care coverage for an area child, $30 for warm winter clothing for a local resident, and $15 for school supplies for two Northern Virginia students.
Participating local non-profits include Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter, CASA Fairfax, Cornerstones, Helping Hungry Kids, Kids R First, Medical Care for Children Partnership, Friends of Homeless Animals, Lift Me Up, Young Playwrights, and OAR. Global organizations include Amazon Adopt-a-School Project, BEADS for Education, Global Camps Africa, and Heifer International Projects. In addition to the charitable organizations, the AGM will include two vendors selling fair trade crafts made by artisans in Africa and Central America.
Spokesperson Anne Simpson offers more detail on the AGM: "The Alternative Gift Market embodies the concept of 'better to give than to receive'. Each year we create a one-stop experience for those who want to make donations to charities that help with basic needs and self-sufficiency. Donors can come to our market and speak with representatives of each organization about its mission and programs, then make a donation in a pre-determined amount that corresponds to the cost of a unit of the services they provide. For example, $20 donated to Helping Hungry Kids will provide food for three children over one weekend. Best of all, the market makes it possible to donate in the name of a third party, such as someone on a holiday gift list. With each gift we provide a a receipt for tax purposes and card that describes how the donation is going to be used."
The Alternative Gift Market and Craft Fair will take place December 1 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston, 1625 Wiehle Avenue, Reston VA. While organized and hosted by UUCR, this is a completely secular event. Details and a complete list of requested gifts can be found at http://www.uureston.org/agm.
SOURCE Alternative Gift Market
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