The next birthday, anniversary, wedding or thank-you does not have to end with a last-minute search for another ordinary gift. Gifts That Give Hope makes it easy to choose a meaningful gift that reflects what your recipient cares about while supporting nonprofit work all year long.
by Marian Pontz
For more than 19 years, the one-day Gifts that Give Hope Fair has occurred in Lancaster, PA. Many visitors will share how excited they are for that special event, but now that specialness of that day is not limited by a calendar date. Because so many folks expressed a desire to shop the fair year-round, Jenn Knepper and her talented crew have designed a beautiful, user-friendly website. This website allows for GTGH shopping 24/7, 365 days a year.
The website allows you to find meaningful gifts that align with your recipient's interests. You wander the site, finding just the right one, at the price point you wish to spend-no surprises. There are also beautiful greeting cards available-ones designed by local artists such as Freman Stoltzfus and Paper Jane Studios, that allow you to place the certificate of your donation in a special card. From birthdays to anniversaries to holidays to messages of get-well or sympathy, the gift-buying process is practically done for you on the GTGH website. User-friendly is an understatement!
GTGH will mail you the certificate(s), or you can print them at home and send in your own greeting card. There are infinite options, but all amount to convenience for you and gifts that show your recipient that they matter. Their passions, goals, and interests matter to you, as evidenced by the carefully chosen gift that supports the chosen non-profit.
The New York Times and AP News recently reported a resurgence of what we call snail mail, or handwritten letters and cards. Going to the mailbox and opening a letter that celebrates, supports, explains, or elaborates, along with an enclosed gift to a non-profit they would support, is a rare and appreciated act of civility and kindness. There is comfort in this “new” letter/card writing endeavor. It is an old way of connection, but one that allowed us time to stop and engage with the text, allow ourselves to reflect, and make us wonder, wonder about how to help, respond, or support our fellow letter writer. Including a gift in their name deepens that connection and conversation. You can explain why you chose that non-profit and how it represents its values. In a world more connected than ever, we are also deeply disconnected. Email and texts are a shallow and often cold connection. There are unwritten but understood rules that all should be short and to the point. Busy people, little attention spans. But letters and cards force people to stop and take in the handwritten text, making it a special and celebrated event. And all of this can be accomplished by a quick “shopping trip” on the Gifts that Give Hope Website.
Though we all mark our calendars for the one day a year Gifts that Give Hope Fair (October 10, 2026), now, responsible gift-giving that supports incredible works of positive change does not have to stop at the end of the fair day. You can now use the gift fair website to buy cards and gifts year-round. You can plan, buy for the unexpected, regularly send good cheer and support, all while positively changing the world. Big and small, you will be building and reinforcing connections and remembering why we are all here, yes, that big existential why-to give hope.
