Support Children this Holiday Season

MISSION, KS--(Marketwired - Nov 14, 2016) - (Family Features) The holidays are all about spreading generosity and kindness, so when searching for the perfect presents for everyone on your holiday shopping list, look for gifts that also benefit children in need around the world.

Gifts That Give Back
From jewelry to accessories, home decor and children's toys, handcrafted products from UNICEF Market not only provide children with basic necessities such as lifesaving nutrition, medicine, education, clean water, emergency relief and more, but also support artists from Asia, Africa and Latin America. For the first time, UNICEF Market shoppers are invited to curate online gift collections for a chance to win a Smithsonian Journeys 10-day trip for two to Peru. Learn more at smithsonianjourneys.org.

Some lifesaving items can be purchased in honor of a loved one and go directly to help children in need in developing countries. Some examples of UNICEF Inspired Gifts include:

• Therapeutic Food: A "miracle food," this peanut-based paste provides quick, lifesaving nourishment to 15 malnourished children for five days.
• Measles Vaccinations: Measles is still a leading global cause of vaccine-preventable death and disability in children. For $30, this gift will provide vaccines for 80 children.

Additionally, the UNICEF Kid Power Band gives kids the power to get active and save lives. With the world's first wearable-for-good, kids go on missions to learn about new cultures and earn points. Points unlock funding from partners, parents and fans, and funds are used to deliver lifesaving packets of therapeutic food to severely malnourished children around the world. To date, the UNICEF Kid Power Team has earned more than 12 million points, enough to unlock more than 5.1 million packets of therapeutic food. Families can join the team by purchasing a Kid Power Band -- available this holiday season at Target -- and downloading the free companion app. The bands are available in blue, orange and two special "Star Wars: Force for Change" editions: black and green.

Other Ways to Support
ALEX AND ANI has partnered with UNICEF to support children affected by conflict and natural disasters, as well as provide funding for programs that help kids have a brighter future through education and play. Twenty percent of the purchase price of the "Kindred Cord World Peace Collection" and "Bright Future Charm Bangles" will be donated to UNICEF's work through Feb. 28, 2018. Both items are available online, at ALEX AND ANI stores and authorized retailers.

For more than 20 years, Pier 1 Imports and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF have held a children's greeting card contest to help generate awareness. The winning design will be reproduced as an official UNICEF greeting card and be sold exclusively at Pier 1 Imports stores nationwide and on pier1.com the following holiday season. Additionally, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is offering a selection of boxed holiday cards that can be purchased online at market.unicefusa.org and through Pier 1 Imports, IKEA and select Hallmark Gold Crown stores with 100 percent of sales for all cards purchased at Pier 1 Imports and IKEA stores going directly to support UNICEF programs.

In Malawi, the majority of students struggle to learn while sitting on the floor or ground outdoors. The Kids in Need of Desks (K.I.N.D.) fund provides a desk and bench for two to three students in schools in the sub-Saharan country with each $55 donation. In addition, the K.I.N.D. fund provides a $177 scholarship for girls in Malawi that delivers one year of education, including tuition, room and board, textbooks, transportation, a school uniform and learning supplies.

This holiday season, HSN brought together 24 designers to create a specific design reflecting what UNICEF means to them, creating a one-of-a-kind quilt. Customers can purchase the "HSN Cares Designer Quilt" through Dec. 31. For each quilt sold on HSN, the company will donate $15 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

This year, the IKEA Foundation is launching its new Good Cause campaign, "Let's Play for Change." For every toy, children's book or children's small furniture piece sold in stores from Nov. 20 through Dec. 24, the IKEA Foundation will donate $1 to help support children's right to play and develop through UNICEF programs.

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