BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Come December, skip the long lines and steep price tags at the department stores and instead give someone a gift that matters -- like helping a blind child in Nepal see again, or training community health workers in a remote village in Guatemala.

This holiday season, shoppers can reconnect with the true meaning of the season by sending Gifts of Service(R) cards from Seva Foundation to their friends and loved ones.

For 30 years, Seva Foundation has celebrated compassion and embraced the connections we each share as global citizens. Working in some of the poorest communities around the world, Seva creates grassroots partnerships and programs that build sustainable solutions to poverty and disease.

"The holidays to me represent a time for giving -- not just in material form, but in compassion and service," said Mark Lancaster, Seva's Executive Director. "Our Gifts of Service program embodies this spirit and allows people to turn gift giving into a way to help those in need. Imagine being able to give someone their eyesight back! I can't think of a better holiday gift than that."

Here's how it works:

• Browse the Gifts of Service catalog, available online at www.seva.org/gifts, and select gifts to honor your friends, family, and business associates. The gifts are actually services, such as bringing cataract surgery to people in remote rural regions of Tibet, and all gifts are tax deductible.

• For each gift, Seva sends you a beautiful card that you can give to someone special. Each card contains a description of what the gift will achieve and space for a personal message from you. For last minute shoppers, Seva also offers Gifts of Service eCards that can be sent by email -- perfect for last minute shoppers.

• Your gift of compassion will change someone's life forever! And with Seva's four-star rating by Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, you can trust your donation is being put to good use.

For more information about Seva Foundation and Gifts of Service, please visit: www.seva.org/gifts.

About Seva Foundation
Seva Foundation is most widely known for its innovative eye care programs in Asia and Africa, which have helped nearly three million blind people to see again through affordable cataract surgeries. In Guatemala and Mexico, Seva works with indigenous communities to provide the tools and training needed to sustain clean water systems, health care, and educational opportunities. Here in the U.S., Seva partners with Native American communities that are committed to building healthy communities, sustaining cultural values, and protecting the environment.

Seva Foundation Inc.

Seva Foundation Inc.

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