This Holiday, Buy Gifts That Give Back To Support Children through UNICEF

NEW YORK (November 8, 2016) – This holiday season, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is encouraging shoppers to stand with UNICEF and give every child hope by purchasing gifts that support UNICEF’s work to save and improve the lives of children around the world. 

UNICEF Market offers handcrafted products that benefit children in need, as well as supporting artists from Asia, Africa and Latin America. From jewellery to accessories to home décor, each item purchased supports UNICEF programs that provide children with basic necessities such as lifesaving nutrition, medicine, education, clean water, emergency relief and more.

For the first time, UNICEF Market shoppers are invited to curate collections for a chance to win a Smithsonian Journeys ten day trip for two to Peru. In the tradition of Smithsonian Journeys, the Smithsonian Institution’s worldwide travel program, with their dedication to inspiring lifelong learning and a passion for exploring the world, shoppers can curate online gift collections alongside mood images, to showcase their creativity, while supporting the world’s children through choosing gifts from UNICEF Market. www.market.unicefusa.org www.smithsonianjourneys.org

“Children are disproportionately affected by conflicts and natural disasters, as we have seen this year with drought caused by El Niño and the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis,” said Caryl M. Stern, president & CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “This holiday season, we are asking people to choose gifts that support UNICEF’s efforts to help the world’s most vulnerable children survive and thrive.”

UNICEF Inspired Gifts www.inspiredgifts.org, will also be available to buy this year. These 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 the following:

• Therapeutic Food: A “miracle food”, this peanut-based paste can mean the difference between life and death. This gift provides quick, lifesaving nourishment to 15 malnourished children for five days ($70.20).
• Measles Vaccinations: Measles is still a leading global cause of vaccine-preventable death and disability in childhood. For $30, this inspired gift will provide vaccines for 80 children.

The UNICEF Kid Power Band gives kids the power to get active and save lives. By getting active 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 by UNICEF to deliver lifesaving packets of therapeutic food to severely malnourished children around the world.

UNICEF Kid Power is a program of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and is made possible through the generous support of Presenting Sponsors Star Wars: Force for Change and Target.*

People everywhere are joining the UNICEF Kid Power Team, working together to help end global malnutrition. To date, the UNICEF Kid Power Team has earned more than 12 million Kid Power Points, enough to unlock more than 5.1 million packets of therapeutic food – and counting! Families can join the Team by purchasing a UNICEF Kid Power Band — available this holiday season in Target stores and on Target.com — and downloading the free companion UNICEF Kid Power App. UNICEF Kid Power Bands are available in blue, orange, and two special Star Wars: Force for Change editions in black and green.

Additional Holiday Gifts that Give Back Available from UNICEF Partners:

ALEX AND ANI
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. 20% of the purchase price of the “Kindred Cord World Peace Collection” (RRP $21) and “Bright Future Charm Bangles” (RRP $28) will be donated to UNICEF’s work through February 28, 2018. Both items are available online, at ALEX AND ANI stores and authorized retailers. Online shoppers can boost the donation made to UNICEF by using the following link: http://bit.ly/2cqu0jy. By participating, ALEX AND ANI will make an additional donation of 10% of the total purchase price* to UNICEF’s work. *Excluding CHARITY BY DESIGN, Affinity Licensed Products, sale and clearance products.

** Purchase price includes sales to ALEX AND ANI retail and web customers, and authorized retailers. No portion of the purchase price is tax deductible. UNICEF does not endorse any brand, company, or service.  The link is valid only through December 31, 2016.

Pier 1 Imports
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 for the world’s children. This year’s theme is ‘Peace, Love and Joy’ and the contest will run from November 1 to November 23. The winning design will be reproduced as an official UNICEF greeting card and will be sold exclusively at Pier 1 Imports stores nationwide and on pier1.com during the 2017 holiday season. The design of last year’s winner, Erin, age 11, from New Jersey, is on sale this holiday season. One hundred percent of sales of all UNICEF cards sold at U.S. Pier 1 Imports stores and pier1.com will go to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support UNICEF’s work to put children first.

Additionally, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is offering a selection of boxed holiday cards ($10 to $12) that can be purchased online at market.unicefusa.org and through UNICEF partners Pier 1 Imports, IKEA, and select Hallmark Gold Crown stores. One hundred percent of the purchase price of each pack of holiday cards purchased at Pier 1 Imports and IKEA stores will go directly to support UNICEF programs.

K.I.N.D. (Kids in Need of Desks)
In Malawi, the majority of students struggle to learn while sitting on the floor or on the ground outdoors. In 2010, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell teamed up with UNICEF to launch the K.I.N.D or Kids in Need of Desks fund to provide desks for children in schools within the sub-Saharan country. With a contribution of $55, UNICEF can provide a desk and a bench for two to three students, ensuring they have a proper place to learn and concentrate. In addition, the K.I.N.D. fund provides scholarships for girls in Malawi. A donation of $177 delivers one year of education, including tuition, room and board, text books, transportation, a school uniform and learning supplies. These gifts are available for purchase at www.unicefusa.org/donate/be-kind-student-malawi-donate-desk. 

HSN Cares Designer Quilt
This holiday season, HSN Cares, the philanthropic arm of HSN, has partnered with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to help build a better future for children. 24 HSN designers have come together to create a specific design reflecting what UNICEF means to them, creating a one-of-a-kind quilt. Exclusively on HSN and HSN.com, customers can purchase the “HSN Cares Designer Quilt” through December 31, 2016. For each quilt sold on HSN, the company will donate $15 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. HSN Cares is dedicated to empowering women and helping families in times of need.

IKEA’s Let’s Play for Change
This year, IKEA is launching its new Good Cause campaign, Let’s Play for Change, which will focus on children’s right to play and develop, highlighting the benefits for play for all children. For every toy, children’s book or children’s small furniture piece sold in stores from November 20 – December 24, 2016, the IKEA Foundation will donate $1 to help support children’s right to play and develop through UNICEF, Save the Children, War Child, Room to Read, Handicap International and Special Olympics programs. Funds generated for UNICEF will go to provide safe places, education, nutrition and health support to promote early childhood development and protect children in resource-poor communities.

About UNICEF
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

For more information, contact:
Sophie Aziakou, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 917.720.1397, saziakou@unicefusa.org
Chloe Kay, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 917.214.1418, ckay@unicefusa.org
 

*For each UNICEF Kid Power Band purchased in U.S. Target stores and Target.com between 10.13.2015 and 12.31.2016, Target will donate $10 to United States Fund for UNICEF. The more kids move, the more Kid Power points they earn. Kid Power points are converted to funding by partners, parents and fans. UNICEF uses funding to deliver lifesaving packets of therapeutic food to severely malnourished children. The Kid Power donation/program is not being administered by Target. For more information on the UNICEF Kid Power program, visit www.unicefkidpower.org. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF does not endorse any brand or product. Donation is not tax deductible for guests.