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Holiday Gift Guide: 10 gifts that give back

'Tis the season for giving, so why not give a little extra with each gift? By giving the following products, you'll also be supporting awesome charities, initiatives and organizations from around the world.

'Tis the season for giving, so why not give a little extra with each gift?

By giving the following products, you'll also be supporting awesome charities, initiatives and organizations from around the world. Hey, your Secret Santa might not like what you get them, so you might as well give a gift that gives back!

YVR Airport socks

 Photo courtesy YVR SocksPhoto courtesy YVR Socks

Yes, YVR airport socks. YVR Socks come in three styles, each with a bright, bold design. For every pair of socks purchased, a pair of warm socks will be donated to Covenant House, an organization committed to helping Vancouver’s homeless and at-risk youth.

Commissary Connect holiday gift box 

 Photo courtesy Commissary ConnectPhoto courtesy Commissary Connect

This holiday gift box hails from Commissary Connect, one of Vancouver’s top shared commercial kitchen facilities where several of the city’s most-loved food makers do their cooking and baking. Proceeds from their gourmet gift baskets will be donated to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Best of all, they deliver!

Her Braids beaded pendants

 Photo: Her BraidsPhoto: Her Beads

Her Braids crafts beautiful handmade, beaded pendants and jewelry. 10% of the company’s profits are donated directly to the David Suzuki Foundation's Blue Dot Movement. Together, they are committed to ensuring all Canadians have access to clean drinking water, particularly on Indigenous reservations.

Blue Ruby Cause We Care collection

 Photo: Blue RubyPhoto: Blue Ruby

Blue Ruby’s Cause We Care handcrafted bracelets provide a 'hand up' to mothers and children living in poverty. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Cause We Care Foundation to support critical programs and resources such as after-school care, single mother workshops and emergency funding for single mothers in need.

Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House Gift Baskets

 Photo: Photo: HastingsCrossing

These scrumptious gift baskets include hand-made and artisanal food items from local businesses. Baskets include tea, olive oil, honey, salmon, locally-roasted coffee and much, much more. All proceeds will be donated to the DTES Neighbourhood House. Delivery to Burnaby, Vancouver, Richmond, North Vancouver and West Vancouver is absolutely free.

Me to We

 Photo: Me to WePhoto: Me to We

Browse an entire catalogue of handmade, globally conscious gift ideas. From coffee to necklaces, each gift supports a pillar of Me to We’s programs, which include education, water, health, food, and opportunity. As an example, Me to We's #GirlLove rafiki bracelet's are handcrafted by mothers in Kenya, who receive a fair wage for their work. Proceeds from each sale then goes back to supporting each makers education.

Megaphone Magazine's Hope and Shadows Calendar

 Photo courtesy Megaphone MagazinePhoto courtesy Megaphone Magazine

Who wouldn’t benefit from a little old-school time management? Hope in Shadows is a community project featuring photography by people experiencing poverty in B.C. The photos are made into a calendar and sold through Megaphone’s vendor program, which employs homeless and low-income people throughout Vancouver and Victoria.

Community Vintage

 Photo Courtesy: Community Vintage Frock ShoppePhoto Courtesy: Community Vintage Frock Shoppe

Give the gift of a perfect vintage band t-shirt or uber-comfy wool sweater. All profits from Community Vintage purchases go to DTES programs, like Insite safe injection site, Onsite Detox, the needle van (Vancouver’s on-call used needle pick-up and exchange program), and many residences where people with addiction and mental health issues can access low-barrier housing.

AG Hair Use. Love. Educate. Firewall Spray

 Photo: AG HairPhoto: AG Hair

Sometimes practical gifts are the best gifts. Firewall spray provides a smooth protective barrier between hair and searing hot flat irons. 50 cents from every bottle purchased will be donated to One Girl Can, AG Hair’s registered charity that builds schools and funds scholarships for impoverished girls living in marginalized areas of Africa.

Raven Reads Books Subscription Boxes

 Photo: Raven Reads Books Ltd.Photo: Raven Reads Books Ltd.

A curated collection of Indigenous literature and giftware that's delivered to your doorstep every season. In honouring the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action, Raven Reads aims to use art and literature to expand peoples understanding of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from around the world.