The countdown's on and you're still not sure what to get Mom for Christmas. Of course, she's no help. Whenever you ask, she says, "I have everything I need." Give me a break! It's not as hopeless as it seems. You can take your mom literally. She always said it was better to give than receive, and World Concern, an international Christian relief and development organization, has found a way for you to help her and others on your gift list do both this Christmas. World Concern's Global Gift Guide lets you buy things like goats or rabbits--not for Mom herself, but for a needy person in her name. If you're not only out of ideas, but also strapped for cash, opt for the budget-priced rabbits from World Concern. For $15 you can provide a Rwandan family with a pair of breeding rabbits that will help boost their income and food security. For $25 you (or whoever is on your shopping list) can buy a family in Haiti a goat to help them rebuild their herd. If you have a bit more to spend (i.e. your siblings waited until the last minute, too, and are now eager to go in on a gift), $250 will buy a Ugandan farmer an ox which will help him till the land 10 times faster, ultimately producing more food. And an ox is something you know your parents don't already have. If livestock isn't your thing, why not spend $35 for a month's worth of care for an Ethiopian girl trying to escape a life of prostitution? The Girls of Hope Center will make sure she gets basic health education and access to job-training workshops, and you'll get to feel good about your gift. You and your eco-friendly friends might also want to chip in and buy some fruit trees for Bolivian families instead of the CDs you were planning to buy each other. They'll set you back $50, just a little more than what you'd spend on three compact discs. There are other gift ideas to choose from. Buy a family in Cambodia a water well. Provide people in Mongolia with garden kits to grow their own food. Or send pre-made food kits to war-ravaged refugees in Kosovo.

Any of the options in the Global Gift Guide beat buying Dad another boring tie, and he and others you're honoring will get a card letting them know of your gift. Or you can have the card sent to you so you can wrap it and put it under the tree. Visit World Concern to find out more or to order, or call World Concern toll-free at 1-800-755-5022.