The holidays are upon us and overflowing with opportunities to give back. Drop by the Ten Thousand Villages store for a sale to benefit El Salvador medical clinics. Later, you can attend the Gift of Sight Gala in Provo to help fund corrective-vision surgery in the Third World. You can also get involved in local government by attending a Salt Lake County hearing discussing a proposed sanitation-fee increase.
Benefit El Salvador Shopping Night
Thursday, Dec. 8
Ten Thousand Villages offers artisans in the developing world a venue to sell their wares at fair-trade value. Shopping there this Thursday comes with even more good karma, as 15 percent of all sales will go to help local nonprofit Benefit El Salvador, which helps stock clinics in the country with much-needed medical supplies. Ten Thousand Villages, 1941 S. 1100 East, 801-485-8827, Dec. 8, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., SaltLakeCity.TenThousandVillages.com
Gift of Sight Gala
Friday, Dec. 9
In 2010, nonprofit Charity Vision helped facilitate 35,000 critical surgeries in the Third World—many of them for basic eye-care procedures. For a $25 couples ticket or a $15 individual ticket, you can ensure a sight-saving operation for an individual in a developing country. Besides good work and warm fuzzies, your ticket will also cover entrance to the gala, which includes dinner, dancing, a silent auction and the music of jazz band Windows Down. Provo City Library, 550 N. University Ave., 801-360-9054, Dec. 9, 7:30-10:30 p.m., ProvoGala.org
Sanitation Fee Increase Hearing
Tuesday, Dec. 13
For Salt Lake County residents who get their trash picked up in unincorporated areas, as well as Taylorsville, Cottonwood Heights, Holladay, Herriman and parts of Murray, sanitation fees are proposed to go up from $11 a month to $12.75 a month. The spike is meant to cover—among other things—rising fuel prices and expanding service for annual cleanups and weekly recycling. Don’t sit by and let your opinion get trashed in this debate. Salt Lake County Government Center, 2001 S. State, 385-468-6332, Dec. 13, 6 p.m., for more info contact Allison Dodge at adodge@slco.org
