By KRISTA RAMSEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

This time of year it's possible to walk out of the mall with overflowing shopping bags and an empty heart.

I propose a kind of giving that will lift your mood and fill your heart. You can do it any way you want - secretly, in the name of a friend, as a gift to a relative. But secretly works best.

These gift suggestions are not for people who have everything. They're for people who don't have nearly enough. If you don't fill them, it's likely that no one will.

Some are incredibly good buys. You'll see that it's possible to do good in the world for the cost of a quarter.

Some might inspire group giving. The 50-cent suggestion, for example, is perfect for a class of 20 children, where the grand total comes to $10. The $75 item could be savings from scaling down the office party by a fancy appetizer or two.

So send a little present to the world this year. And be of good cheer.

Small change adds up

The 25-cent gift: Scattered across the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden are ''parking meters'' that buy time for endangered rain forests. A quarter buys 90 square feet; $35 buys an entire acre. At 25 cents per child, a school of 140 students could buy an acre, protecting 40 vines, 200 butterflies and 80 orchids. Make checks payable to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Education Department, Rain Forest Conservation, 3400 Vine Street St., Cincinnati 45220.

The 50-cent gift: Some nights, the children at St. Joseph Orphanage in Montfort Heights need a little help going to sleep. Music from a Walkman works best. At a cost of 50 cents per child, a classroom of 20 students could pay for a $10 Walkman. Make checks payable to St. Joseph Orphanage, The Villa Residential Program, 5400 Edalbert DriveCincinnati 45239.

The $5 gift: The Scratching Post in Silverton, a non-profit cat adoption center, always needs cat food, cat litter and cleaning supplies. A donation helps provide good care until an adoptive family comes along. Make checks payable to The Scratching Post, 6958 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati 45236.

The $15 gift: Blackberry bushes and rakes are hard to wrap, but fun to buy. The Civic Garden Center's Neighborhood Gardens program needs tools, specialized plants, bulbs and other materials for its seven children's gardens and three seniors' gardens. Make checks payable to the Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Road, Cincinnati 45206.

The $25 gift: The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless needs office supplies, some furnishings for a small meeting center and a fund for transportation to help homeless people find employment. Make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm St., Cincinnati 45210.

A lot for a little

The $40 gift: Buy an inner-city child a month in the homework room at Peaslee Neighborhood Center in Over-the-Rhine. You're paying for materials, supervision, a safe and happy place to come every day after school. Make checks payable to Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 E. 14th St., Cincinnati 45210.

The $50 gift: New drug treatments can cost AIDS patients more than $2,000 every month. A gift certificate to a pharmacy is a loving and supportive gift idea. Make checks payable to AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati, 2183 Central Parkway, Cincinnati 45214.

The $65 gift: Buy a box full of fun for a needy family. Hamilton County Children's Protective Services is packing holiday boxes of games, art supplies, puzzles, books and family passes, designed to encourage family interaction. Make checks payable to Families Forward, Children's Protective Services, 2400 Reading Road, Cincinnati 45202.

The $75 gift: You can have the rare pleasure of sponsoring a children's or family event at the library. For $75, buy an evening or afternoon of theater, puppets, origami, clowning or some other treat that is then free to the public. Make checks payable to the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, 800 Vine St., Cincinnati 45202.

The $99 gift: Help ease the $500,000 debt of the family of Tory Koch, the Lebanon 14-year-old whose battle with cystic fibrosis touched the Tristate. A special fund has been set up by family friend Dale Shannon. Make checks payable to Tory Koch Fund, Box 340096, Beavercreek, Ohio 45434.

Krista Ramsey's column appears Saturdays. Write her at 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202 or fax at 768-8340.

Published Nov. 30, 1996.