Heifer Experience: The Heifer Gift

We had fun making this video, and we hope you enjoy it! If so, please "Like" it and share it with your friends. Help us get the word out about Heifer! (Lyrics below.)

The video is also an entrant in Heifer International's "Heifer Experience" video contest, and winners are determined by the number of "Likes" they receive on YouTube.

This song and video celebrate Heifer International and their outstanding work in breaking the cycle of poverty and hopelessness the world over. Lauren LeCroy May wrote the lyrics and created the video (largely from pictures of Heifer program participants from their Heifer Catalog and from www.heifer.org), and Andy May wrote, played, sang, recorded, and engineered the music.
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Lyrics:

The Heifer Gift
(Andy & Lauren May, Swift River Music)

In the spirit of this joyous season
We did something we all believe in:
One night we didn't go out together
And what we didn't spend, we sent to Heifer

Sayin', O.K., O.K.
It's a family get-together
O.K., O.K.
We're gonna eat in & send out to Heifer

Now, livestock has a lot of good uses
Better yet, livestock reproduces
And those who get a gift from Heifer
Will pass that gift on to a neighbor

O.K., O.K.
In the Heifer gift catalog
O.K., O.K.
There's everything from hens to hogs

A water buffalo can pull a plow
So can a camel, though I can't see how
But one thing that I know for sure--
Crops grow better when they're fed manure

O.K., O.K.
Heifer gifts are so sustainin'
O.K., O.K.
It's not just the livestock, it's the trainin'

We bought some trees and honeybees
Chickens, rabbits, ducks, and geese
Then we went for a share in each
Of a camel, a llama, and a sheep Sayin', O.K., O.K.
We're gonna plant a seed
O.K., O.K.
Give hope on the hoof to a family in need

Then someone said, "We didn't have wine!
Let's look through there one more time
We could add three flocks of chicks,
A share of a heifer or half a pig!"

Sayin', O.K., O.K.
Break out the peanut butter
O.K., O.K.
Gonna take our change and change life for another

That fine meal that we never ate
Became honey, eggs, fruit, and shade
Transportation, milk, and wool
And income enough to send a child to school

O.K., O.K.
Now, here's the reason why:
O.K., O.K.
Gifts to Heifer go forth and multiply

O.K, O.K.
Next year, Everybody,
O.K., O.K.
Let's throw a Heifer brown-bag party
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For contest updates and Heifer International alerts, text HEIFER to 69872 (msg & data rates may apply).

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About Heifer (from www.heifer.org):

Heifer is different. Heifer works.

Heifer International is a global nonprofit with a proven solution to ending hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. Heifer helps empower millions of families to lift them out of poverty and hunger to self-reliance through gifts of livestock, seeds and trees and extensive training, which provide a multiplying source of food and income.

Heifer's mission to end hunger--

Heifer envisions... A world of communities living together in peace and equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet.

Heifer's mission is... To work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth.

Heifer's strategy is... To Pass on the Gift. As people share their animals' offspring with others--along with their knowledge, resources and skills--an expanding network of hope, dignity and self-reliance is created that reaches around the globe.

Heifer's history This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief--a cow not a cup--caught on and has continued for more than 65 years. Today, millions of families have been given gifts of self-reliance and hope.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Heifer International
• giving
• holidays
• gifts
• hunger
• poverty
• andy may
• Lauren LeCroy May
• swift river music
• cow
• cattle
• goat
• camel
• honey
• bee
• ox
• Sustainable Agriculture
• chicken
• duck
• goose
• international development
• agriculture

[ClaudiaMcDonagh56]

We love your video!!! If you would like to share your lyrics and chords, I would love to teach your song to my students!!! claudiakmcdonagh@yahoo.com (Our video is the one called Heifer International: Fifth graders study solutions to hunger and poverty. We wrote a couple of songs too)

[AndyMaySRM]

@ClaudiaMcDonagh56 Thank you, Claudia. We'd be delighted to have your students sing the song! Kudos to you for teaching them about the reality of hunger & poverty in the world and about organizations like Heifer that are fighting it! It sounds like you take a very positive approach.

I'll email you lyrics & chords.

[TchrReinvented]

It's great. I love the lyrics AND the idea.

[TchrReinvented]

It's great. I love the lyrics AND the idea.

[kathshan]

Nice presentation & music!

[vithefiddler]

Nice one, Andy.

[GospelTruth37059]

Great song great gingle!!!! Clap clap clap!! This will be hard to vote on there all so good!! Yes we give to heifer too amen

[natickmusic]

Very generous gift to sustain us all.

Thanks,

Rick