Would you be willing to give a cash gift to a charity in someone elses name instead of buying them a gift?

I’ve been thinking lately that it is getting extremely difficult to find people gifts for the holidays. Do you think it would be better to just send checks to a charity in their name? I mean, so many people are having a rough year and I was thinking, why buy a sweater or a young adult a game when they really don’t need that sweater or that game. There are people who need food, clothes and shelter. I can see buying stuff for people you know who do need these things but I’m sure most of the gifts we buy for people we know is really not necessary. Would you do it? Have you done it?