We love to peruse the pages of the Heifer International gift catalog and see the various animals they are providing to people in various parts of the world. It's only been since we've brought our goats home, though, that I've realized the full potential of the gift of a goat.

According Heifer International, the amazing organization that provides farm animals and animal husbandry education to struggling communities:

"Goats can thrive in extreme climates and on poor, dry land by eating grass and leaves. The gift of a dairy goat can supply a family with up to several quarts of nutritious milk a day - a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. Families learn to use goat manure to fertilize gardens.
Goats often have two or three kids a year making it easy for Heifer recipients to pass on the gift of a goat to another family in need. This great investment allows our partners to lift themselves out of poverty by starting small dairies that earn money for food, health care and education."

For $120 you could provide a dairy goat for a family in need. Can't do $120? Consider buying a share of a goat for only $10. Click here to see how. Or, you could do what I'm doing and just stash away $10 a month so that by the end of the year, you can give a family the gift of a goat for Christmas. :)

"With all the money donated to help fight famine around the world, with all the grandiose plans conceived to conquer poverty, sometimes all it takes to save a child is a goat."

— 60 Minutes, CBS News Magazine Program