For this Catalog - the Top Holiday Gift isn't an iPad: It's a Goat

SEATTLE, Oct. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- As shoppers head to the mall or peruse gift catalogs this holiday season, the top presents are predictable: iPods and iPads, scooters and dolls, kitchen accessories and gift cards. But for one unique catalog, the top item is less expected: it's a goat.

Through World Vision's Gift Catalog (www.worldvisiongifts.org), shoppers can choose a meaningful, life-changing gift to meet the urgent needs of children around the world. These alternative gift ideas – such as goats, school supplies, and fresh water wells - honor the recipient and create a lasting impact for people in need.

For the person who has everything, or for the shopper who doesn't want to purchase one more meaningless gift, the World Vision Gift Catalog offers a welcome alternative (or addition to) traditional holiday gift giving. Shoppers can match the gift to the hobby or interest of the recipient. Ideas include:

• Children who love animals will enjoy giving a goat, cow, or chickens to provide a family with new sources of nutrition and the potential to sell eggs or milk, helping the family climb out of poverty.
• Sports enthusiasts will get a kick out of four soccer balls donated to a school.
• A gardener may like hybrid or drought-resistant seeds for a farmer, helping feed the farmer's family for seasons to come.
• A cyclist – or a child receiving his or her first bike – will enjoy giving a bicycle to a girl in Africa or Asia, allowing her to safely travel to school.

Gift Catalog items offer a clear way to make the holidays more meaningful. One 10-year-old expanded his own holiday list in a deeply personal way through the World Vision Gift Catalog. The Pendleton family, of Colorado, adopted their son from Kazakhstan. When he saw the Mongolian Ger in the catalog, he immediately wanted to buy one for people in his homeland. "I didn't know how to explain to a 10-year-old that $1,862 is a lot of money, so I didn't," said mom Amy. "And sure enough, he raised it all!"

When giving a gift to a friend or family member, that person can receive a special card describing the gift and its impact. Donors can also receive free handmade gifts such as ornaments from Nairobi and jewelry from Thailand with a contribution to the Maximum Impact Fund, which helps in the areas of greatest needs.

New this year is the option to create a personal My Gift Catalog page at www.mygiftcatalog.org. This online tool allows individuals to create a personalized fundraising page. The individual can then encourage family and friends to visit their page and purchase a gift from the catalog in lieu of traditional holiday presents. This tool can be used during the holiday season, as well as all year long for birthdays, weddings, graduations or other celebrations.

This year marks the 17th annual edition of the catalog. Since 1996 the catalog's popularity as a gift-giving alternative has grown with more than 160,000 purchases last year raising over $33 million that helped more than 825,000 people around the world.* Goats remain the most popular item – more than 67,000 goats were given to families around the world in 2011.

Children and adults alike can learn more about the recipients of items purchased in the gift catalog through the catalog's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/worldvisiongiftcatalog.

To order from World Vision's Gift Catalog, visit www.worldvisiongifts.org.  To order by phone or to request a print catalog, call toll-free at (888) 511-6511. 

About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. We serve the world's poor, regardless of a person's religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, visit www.worldvision.org.

*At this date these are unaudited fiscal numbers that are estimates.

SOURCE World Vision