Gifts That Give Hope alternative gift fair is Sunday

Lancaster's Gifts That Give Hope will host an Alternative Gift Fair this weekend, returning to an in-person format after last year's virtual fair, necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2021 fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, at the Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster.

The event, now in its 14th year, encourages participants to give "alternative gifts" for the holidays, in the form of donations that support local nonprofits. This year's slate features 30 organizations.

Gifts can be as little as $5 up to $75 or more. Open donations are welcome, as is support for specific initiatives. For details, see the Gifts That Give Hope order form.

The fair features food and drink from local vendors and a marketplace of gifts that support fair trade, sustainability and local social enterprises.

Special events and entertainment include the following:

• Human Rights Scavenger Hunt
• Meet the Authors: Featuring Omar Mohamed, author of "When Stars Are Scattered," and Annette Darity-Garber, author of "Carry"
• Storytime with Father Christmas
• Noon to 1 p.m.: Music by SWAN (Scaling Walls A Note at a Time). SWAN offers music programs for children affected by parental incarceration.

The 2020 virtual fair raised more than $22,000. Since 2007, Gifts That Give Hope fairs in Lancaster and elsewhere have raised roughly half a million dollars.

United Way of Lancaster County is both a participating nonprofit and a sponsoring partner for this year's Lancaster fair.