UNICEF Holiday Gifts Can Mean a Lifetime of Change for Children

Shoppers are asked to support children when purchasing this year.

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Jun 24, 2013, 12:49 ET

NEW YORK, June 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Fund for UNICEF is asking shoppers searching for unique gifts to support vulnerable children this holiday season by purchasing from a variety of products that benefit UNICEF. From actual lifesaving items for children to name-brand options by Gucci, IKEA and Montblanc, each gift has the power to make a significant impact.

"It's been quite a year when we consider the needs of children living in some of the most horrific circumstances. UNICEF has helped address the needs of millions of children caught in emergencies, like the conflicts in Syria and Mali. I encourage shoppers to not overlook the world's most vulnerable children and instead make them part of why they give this year," said Caryl Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

By purchasing UNICEF Inspired Gifts for friends and family, holiday shoppers can provide children in developing countries with urgently-needed items. A gift of measles vaccines ($28.26) protects 100 children from blindness and death; water purification tablets ($67.03) prevent diseases like cholera or typhoid; and therapeutic food ($67.48) protects 50 children against severe malnutrition. These items and more are available for purchase at www.unicefusa.org/inspiredgifts.

In addition, a portion of sales from each item sold through UNICEF's cards and gifts collection goes to support UNICEF programs worldwide. Having pioneered the sale of greeting cards in 1949 to help children in the developing world, UNICEF now offers a holiday catalog that contains a complete range of merchandise for both children and adults. Gifts include a hand-carved chess set ($75) made of beech wood and nestled inside a birch and limewood carrying case, a beaded brass cuff ($28) made with tiny glass beads and handmade accessories, and peruvian fingerless gloves ($35) made of soft, finely-woven Alpaca wool.

UNICEF boxed cards (from $10 to $20) can be purchased online beginning in August and at Pier 1 Imports, IKEA, Barnes and Noble and select Hallmark Gold Crown stores starting in October. Individual holiday cards ($2.50 to $5.99) will be sold at Barnes and Noble and select Hallmark Gold Crown stores. To shop online visit www.shopcardsandgifts.unicefusa.org.

The design by this year's grand prize winner of the annual Pier 1 Imports / UNICEF Greeting Card contest, Atticus Silbaugh, age 8 from Shrewsbury, Pa., will be reproduced as an official UNICEF greeting card and sold exclusively at Pier 1 Imports stores across the country and on Pier1.com during the 2013 holiday season.

UNICEF Partners

Education is a fundamental human right, and yet there are 61 million children not enrolled in elementary school globally. Support from partners such as Gucci, IKEA and Montblanc is enabling UNICEF to help children around the world access a quality education, providing them with the foundation they need for a brighter future.

Gucci

Gucci's Creative Director Frida Giannini has designed her sixth special edition "Gucci for UNICEF" Nice shopper bag. This exclusive version of the signature Gucci Nice shopper features antique rose micro Guccissima leather. Twenty-five percent of the retail price of each bag sold through May 2014 will benefit UNICEF's "Schools for Africa" and "Schools for Asia" initiatives in Malawi, Mozambique, and China. The education initiatives aim to provide millions of vulnerable children with access to a quality education. Since the partnership began, Gucci has donated $15 million to UNICEF. The "Gucci for UNICEF" shopper bag will be available in Gucci stores worldwide and on www.Gucci.com.

IKEA "Soft Toys for Education"

The IKEA "Soft Toys for Education" campaign is celebrating its tenth year of supporting children's education programs. Since the campaign's launch in 2003, the IKEA Foundation has raised nearly $74 million, helping improve educational opportunities for more than 10 million children in 45 countries. This year, from Nov. 3 – Jan. 4, for every purchase from the new "Soft Toys for Education" collection, the IKEA Foundation will donate one euro (approximately $1.30) to support UNICEF and Save the Children global education programs, including UNICEF's "Schools for Africa" initiative. This year's new collection will feature fairy tale-themed items, including the KRULLIG Elf Soft Toy and VRIDVINGE Fairy Tail Wings, both for $4.99. For more information, visit www.ikeafoundation.org.

Montblanc "Signature for Good"

Since the partnership with UNICEF began in 2004, Montblanc has contributed more than $5 million to support UNICEF's education programs for children in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In Ethiopia alone, Montblanc funding has enabled UNICEF to improve the quality of elementary school education for more than two million girls and boys. Montblanc has introduced its latest "Signature for Good" collection featuring special edition writing instruments, jewelry pieces and leather accessories. For every piece in the "Signature for Good" collection sold in the United States through March 2014, Montblanc will donate 10 percent of the retail price to support UNICEF's education programs for children. Collection items range in price from $210 - $805 and are available at www.montblanc.com.

Delta Air Lines

SkyMiles® members can donate miles to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. To find more information or donate miles, visit www.delta.com/skywish.

About UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to save and improve children's lives, 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 zero children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood.

SOURCE U.S. Fund for UNICEF