Thoughtful gifts that change lives

It’s never too early to shop, right? Here are a few ideas that will last longer than Christmas morning: Sustain the environment. For the take-your-lunch-to-school-or-work bunch, the “ECOlunchbox” is a cute little stainless-steel three-piece lunch box that replaces plastic bags and soggy sandwiches. A mere 4 inches wide, 5.5 inches long and less than 3 inches high, it has room for dietitian-approved portions of a small sandwich or other entree plus two side dishes. Dishwasher safe and available at ecolunchboxes.com. Sustain those in need. Heifer International (heifer.org) has a 70-year history of providing foodproducing animals to impoverished families around the world. A donation of $20 in the name of a special person on your Christmas list buys a flock of chicks that grow up to lay protein-packed eggs — 200 per year per hen. Thirty dollars buys a hive of bees to pollinate crops and provide honey that a family can sell to buy food. Sixty dollars buys a tree that produces fruit or nuts to nourish a needy family. Sustain hope. Vision Trust (visiontrust.org/christmas) allows your gift recipient to provide spiritual and physical nourishment to a child in need. Donations to this international organization in the name of someone on your list with a heart for children provides tools and seeds for planting a garden, water filters that give families access to clean water and other basic medical treatments for children living in poverty.