Gifts Worth Giving

$10
LUNCH FOR AN ARTIST
MacDowell Colony
www.macdowellcolony.org

Lunch for artists at MacDowell Colony arrives in a picnic basket delivered to their cabin, a tradition since Edward MacDowell composed music in his log cabin on the property, which includes the lyrics, "Is that Blake's care crunching up the driveway? "Today there is fresh corn soup, creamy and sweet, and a fat slice of vegetable tart dusted with cheese," Ruth Reichl writes of the basket, which she describes as "the ultimate gift of a sojourn at MacDowell."

$98
ONE DAY'S PAY FOR A COUNSELOR
Bowery Mission, www.bowery.org

This homeless shelter offers a year-long program that includes therapy sessions with counselors, who have specialized bachelors and masters degrees. "Each counselor has 15 people in his caseload and keeps files that are inspected by the city and state," Executive Director Brian Johansson said. The counselors also teach anger management and GED preparatory classes.

$600
WEEKEND AND HOLIDAY MEALS FOR A YEAR
City Meals on Wheels
www.citymeals.org

The cost of a meal at Per Se can send 117 meals to the home of an elderly New Yorker, including emergency meals that keep on the shelf until needed and extra bottled water during the summer. "It assures that our elderly neighbors will never have to face a day without food," Executive Director Marcia Stein, said.

$650
SCHOLARSHIP FOR AFTER-SCHOOL CHORAL GROUP
Young People's Chorus
www.ypc.org

With this gift, one child will learn to sing and then perform at venues such as Lincoln Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and Carnegie Hall. "These kids couldn't afford it otherwise," the director of operations, Renee Danger-James, said.

$1,000
RECRUITMENT OF 25 LAWYERS TO DO PRO BONO WORK
inMotion, Inc.
www.inmotiononline.org

These funds cover the cost of state-accredited, in-house training sessions at private law firms to prepare lawyers for their volunteer work for the organization, which helps impoverished and battered women file for residency, divorce, and orders of protection.

$5,000
BUILDING OF A 60- TO 70-SQUARE-FOOT KITCHEN FOR A LOW-INCOME FAMILY
Habitat for Humanity
www.habitatnyc.org

"That's grossly, grossly under the cost" of building a kitchen from the ground up, the chief executive officer of Core Development Group, Josh Guberman, said. Habitat for Humanity NYC gets it done cheaply with donations of appliances and labor, and with the donation amount paying for plumbing, cabinetry, countertops, and flooring.