The Chia Pet, the Shake Weight, the ThighMaster, scented candles and snow globes. Besides being the answers to the “Family Feud” question, “Name something you’d find on a shelf at a thrift store,” what do all of these things have in common?

They are all on the list of The All-time Most Unwanted Gifts for Christmas. (Well, this list doesn’t actually exist … but maybe it should.)

Unwanted Gifts of Christmases Past

You probably have some Christmas gifts that you’d like to add to the list. That not-so-special something (to you, at least) that ultimately, inevitably, ended up in the back of your closet collecting dust. Discarded. Donated. Re-gifted.

And no matter how many times you’ve received an unwanted gift for Christmas, you’re probably still giving them out yourself. Hey, no judgment. We’ve all been on the receiving end of that forced smile to a gift we’ve given before.

Last year, a survey done by Finder revealed that more than 53 percent of people in the U.S. receive three unwanted Christmas gifts a year — each costing around $50. Let’s do that astronomical math: That’s about $16 billion spent on things people don’t want. $16 BILLION?!

Wanted Gifts for Christmases Future

Hopefully, when we give a gift, our intention is to show love, appreciation or to meet a need. But how can we be more intentional with our generosity and gift giving?

One answer is our Compassion Gift Catalog.

When you shop our Gift Catalog, you and the person you honor by giving in his or her name get to share in the joy of giving a much-needed gift to a family living in extreme poverty. It is never going to be thrown away, re-gifted, or shoved in the back of a closet. It’s a gift that is not just wanted but one that will bring joy, hope and resources to an under-resourced community.

To help you spend that $50 a little more intentionally this year, here are some ideas from the Gift Catalog that are guaranteed to bring genuine smiles to all who receive them …

Chickens: $40

Maybe instead of that rooster clock for your mom’s kitchen, think about giving a family in need a source of income and nutrition through a gift of real live chickens in her honor.

Water Wells: $52

How about skip that cats-in-pajamas wall calendar that can only be enjoyed for a year and give something that will be remembered for generations? Help care for an entire rural community’s health and safety when you provide safe water through the building of a water well.

Textbooks: $40

The latest popular self-help book has nothing on giving an opportunity for a child in poverty to further his or her education. Help our child development centers build libraries that are stacked with textbooks, reference books and learning supplies for the students.

Urgent Medical Care: $50

Talk about a gift you didn’t know you wanted or even needed until you had it: emergency medical care. Providing a child in poverty the opportunity to get treated quickly for unexpected illnesses and injuries through our Urgent Medical Care Fund can save a life.

Newborn Care Package: $38

Give a Newborn Care Package in honor of that new momma in your life. How happy will she be knowing that your gift provides a welcome-home gift filled with much-needed baby supplies for a new mother just like her? Guaranteed joy all around!

Need more ideas to spark genuine smiles and spread hope this Christmas? Shop more “wanted” Christmas gifts at the full Compassion Gift Catalog!

GIVE A “WANTED” GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS ›››