Helping Charities Around The World This Holiday Season, Some Gifts Keep On Giving

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Buying gifts that help others is a great way to get into the holiday spirit, and for anybody looking for a way to give a lovely gift while raising money for a worthy cause, the possibilities are almost endless.

"This is a gift you feel great about giving because you know it's doing good and the recipient feels great because they also know that it's doing good," Gretchen Witt of Cookies For Kids' Cancer, told CBS 2's Chris Wragge on Friday.

One hundred percent of all profits from Cookies For Kids' Cancer are used to fight childhood cancer. Witt said she started the charity five years ago when her son, Liam, was diagnosed. She found that pediatric cancer did not receive much research funding and has since raised $4 million.

"Science doesn't happen in a vacuum, science happens because you invest in it," she said.

Liam lost his battle with cancer last January.

Another charity that provides everything a child could possibly need is UNICEF, the international children's charity. UNICEF sells "classrooms in a box" and members say they are desperately needed in countries where schools have been destroyed by natural disasters.

"We send this box literally to kids all over the world and you immediately have all of the supplies you need to teach a classroom of 40 children," Lisa Benenson said.

The "classrooms in a box" are funded by sales of UNICEF cards and stuffed animals.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy a number of charities have sprung into action to help Tri-State Area pets that were left homeless by the storm.

"It would have been a critical and very bad situation without these vans to get those animals to safety," said Debbie Fierro of Wheels Of Hope.

Many donations are matched by companies or anonymous donors. At Kiehls, a special edition body lotion goes to fund a children's art program.

If you are still unsure of what to give the Global Giving Gift Card  allows the recipient to pick to the cause most meaningful to them.

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