Donors Explain Why They Give Heifer

We love hearing from our donors and supporters, especially around the holidays. So we asked you again this year: Why do you give Heifer? And you melted our hearts all over again with your responses! Here are just a few:

Kimberly West met the family of a Heifer recipient:

My daughter's elementary school teacher was from Germany. Her family had been recipients of a cow from Heifer. She came and gave a talk at our church and the congregation jumped on board.I have my birthday party for Heifer at church. It is a truly wonderful organization. I love the "Pass the Gift" principle. 

Christmas wouldn't be the same without a Heifer honor card for Bente Humphrey's friends: 

Because it is a great organization that I am proud to support! I give donations as gifts on behalf of many of my friends each Christmas. I think they would be disappointed if they did not get that special card in their gift basket each year! 

Best gift ever.

Maryann Puchnick loves that our goal for our participants is self-sufficiency:

I don't remember when or how I heard about Heifer for the first time, but I have been giving regularly every holiday season for years. It is a phenomenal organization that goes beyond a hand out. They help individuals and communities become self sufficient and sustainable, therefore breaking the cycle.

Rosemary Hauseman got to hear our founder, Dan West, speak in 1962! Wow! 

I heard Dan West speak in 1962 or so. He made sense. 

We had Deborah Jansak at "water buffalo."

Presents under the tree?? HECK NO. We all waited on pins and needles for the mail to deliver that wonderful card telling us each what we were going to be that year. Phones would ring off the hook with announcements, nicknames were assigned. This is our family tradition for the last 40 + years. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for making me a water buffalo that first Christmas We are continuing this tradition. Now to choose who will be the Pig....

Rhonda Johnson wants to give bees a chance:

I am a beekeeper. I am worried about our bee population. Giving the gift of bees feels like I'm not only helping people, I'm giving bees a better chance.

For many like Greta Mesics, it's tradition:

Family tradition. Just thinking about the happy ripples of shared giving makes me happy and hopeful. This year my boys gave me a gaggle of geese, a flock of chickens, a flock of ducks, and a honey bee hive. No single partridge in a single pear tree can beat all those birds and bees!

And we love hear from first-timers like Tegan Switzer!

I haven't yet, but I am hoping to give this year.

There are so many more amazing stories and lovely messages, all we can say is thank you! If you want to read more about why people give Heifer, or want to tell us your story, join the party on Facebook or Twitter!