How about a donation to this organization on behalf of your hoarding loved one that helps those for free who have had their children taken away due to "unsafe living conditions." It's called Better Homes For Children.
After years of trying different things, I've settled on gift cards to charitable groups. For Mother's Day, I particularly like to "buy" things for orphans. I adopted one of my kids from China, so this is a big family interest anyway, but it's also just very cool to do something for a kid in honor of a mother, I think. Plus, the gift becomes tax deductible. Two groups I regularly use are Angel Covers, a non-profit in Colorado that helps orphans in several different countries, and Love Without Boundaries, which focuses on orphans in China. Their web sites are www.angelcovers.org and www.lovewithoutboundaries.com.
I donate to Unique-a support group and source of information to families and individuals affected by any rare chromosome disorder and to the professionals who work with them. Like compulsive hoarding, this is another misunderstood disorder my family is affected by. The group receives no government funding and is heavily reliant on donations and fundraising to continue its work. Donations.
A donation to "Save The Children" on their behalf. All they will receive is a photo card of the child being helped with the donation and what the donation will go towards (you can choose how its spent).
I donate a cash amount to the Gideons or church or library in her honor. She does not complain (to me anyway).
Donations to Heifer International, which gives cows, pigs and chicks to people who live at a subsistence /poverty level.
Several organizations will plant trees in people's names and send them certificates, bumper stickers, etc. (Crafty-type COH could also photoshop a huge old tree with a brass plaque--the Hoarder Parent oak--but that's sort of a sarcastic comment).
Tree organizations that do this include:
Then there are zoo programs which will let you 'adopt' an animal in a person's name.
Donate a "brick" in her name. For example: I bought a brick for our new library and had it engraved with my mother's name to commemorate all the times she took me to our hometown library as I was growing up and the love of books she instilled in me (I'm an English professor now!).
I got my father a honorary veteran's brick in the military museum in his town. It was put in the sidewalk where he (and his friends) can see it every time he visits. He loved it, and felt very honored and special. Also, later, two of his friend's sons ended up getting ones for their fathers also - they were also war veterans and were also very moved. They all said it was one of the most special gifts they had ever received :-)
Instead of giving our family members physical gifts, we make a donation to their favorite charity or donate a book to the library in honor of that special person. My children love to pick who is getting "Honored" each year and enjoy the reaction they get when their loved ones find out that they cared enough to remember them this way.
Donations and bookpurchaseshelp keep this site online.
The information here should not be used to replace the care or diagnosis of a medical professional.
How about a donation to this organization on behalf of your hoarding loved one that helps those for free who have had their children taken away due to "unsafe living conditions." It's called 
