So what do you get for the public health champion in your life who wants to have a positive impact on the world? Get inspired with these sustainable, meaningful, and charitable gift ideas that are sure to please all the public health practitioners and enthusiasts on your list.
1. Eco-friendly hydration
Not only will a beautiful, reusable glass tumbler like this one by Tronco encourage the recipient to drink more water, but it will also save more single-use plastics from being used. As a bonus, this tumbler comes with a reusable straw — a healthy, sustainable match made in heaven.
2. Carbon offsets
Does your recipient travel for work? For pleasure? Own a home? Throw away too much trash? Terrapass is one way to help them offset their carbon footprint. After assessing their greenhouse gas imprint, Terrapass users have a number of options to help counterbalance the negative effects to our planet. Because a healthy planet allows for a healthy population.
3. Comfortable sneakers
Walking is an easy way to boost your daily step count and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Give the gift of comfort and style with high-quality, sustainable sneakers. Consider buying from a brand like Allbirds, which uses recycled materials and ensures that their wool comes from farms that are held to high standards of land management and animal welfare.
4. Advocacy training
Good health requires a healthy environment. A healthy environment, in which we can all thrive, requires health-promoting policies. But good policies don’t get passed by themselves. They need champions. There are lots of groups that do this type of training, including the Alliance for Justice. This type of investment is well worth it and will pay dividends for years.
5. A dose of mindfulness
A regular practice of meditation and mindfulness has been proven to improve one’s mood and reduce stress. Everyday Mindfulness: From Chaos To Calm In A Crazy World is a collection of short exercises that can be incorporated into your loved one’s daily routine, helping them ease into a regular mindfulness practice.
6. Building the Future
Want to give back in a meaningful, impactful way? Consider making a donation to a classroom via DonorsChoose. Teachers across the country spend far too much of their own money on things like classroom supplies, books, and field trips. To give all students access to resources, DonorsChoose allows you to pick a specific classroom or project to fund. All donations go directly to teachers and students, and you get to see the powerful benefit of helping a child learn.
7. Imperfect food
Food waste is a major problem in America, with research showing that between 30-40% of the U.S. food supply goes to waste. Various subscription food box programs that are attempting to reduce waste and ensure that the food we grow and produce is able to be consumed. Imperfect Foods, Misfits Market, and Hungry Harvest all offer healthy, fresh foods that otherwise would have been discarded.
8. Community empowerment
Depending on where your recipient lives, there are probably dozens of community-based groups that would benefit from a charitable contribution toward their work. Give your loved one a donation in their name to their favorite local organization furthering community health, such as an affordable medical clinic, recreation center, or food bank.
9. A ticket to the great outdoors
For a gift that combines exercise, adventure, and wanderlust, the U.S. Park Pass can’t be beat. Your recipient will enjoy entry to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites, including national parks, monuments, and battlefields. The Petrified Forest National Park, Muir Woods National Monument, and Grand Canyon National Park are just a few of the breathtaking sites accessible to pass-holders.
10. Pedal power
Public health enthusiasts who live in urban areas can reduce both their commuting stress and carbon footprint with the gift of bike sharing. A bike share program subscription gives your recipient the ability to zip through congested streets without burning any fossil fuels — just remind them to wear a helmet.