Consider Gifts of the Heart this holiday

Photo courtesy Barbara Draper
A display of some of the many Gifts of the Heart greeting cards that are available for purchase throughout the year. In addition to being unique, locally made cards, Gifts of the Heart benefit several local nonprofits.

By Barbara Draper

Special to The PREVIEW

Thanksgiving is over for 2015 and thoughts are turning toward the Christmas season. Are you considering Gifts of the Heart cards as part of your holiday giving?

By now, this is a familiar concept to many of you who have supported this unique and thoughtful way of giving. You not only give to friends and loved ones, but to people throughout our community, as well. For other readers, this may be an unfamiliar concept. Just what is this program and how does it work?

Local artistic residents, both children and adults, have designed a wide variety of cards for many occasions. The program is administered by the Community United Methodist Church, but proceeds are spread throughout the community.

When you purchase a card for a donation of $5 (or more) per card, you designate how you would like your money to be spent. You may give to the Education Center’s After-school Tutoring Program, the Food Pantry at the Methodist Church, the Community Assistance Fund or Pagosa Programs for Youth.

A Gift of the Heart is a gift that continues giving all year long. It gives you, the gift giver, the satisfaction of helping a child do better in school, giving a family food for their table, offering a teenager the chance to learn a lifelong skill for success or coming to the aid of someone whose paycheck cannot cover utilities, prescriptions or a pair of broken glasses.