For my high school graduation present, my family decided to go to Ecuador. On this trip abroad, my mom shared the idea of Packing for a Purpose, so I decided to try it. Originally it was a need for community service hours, but throughout the process I forgot about the time I was spending and I was thinking what would be best for the kids.
I’m currently a month away from graduating High School, so I understand the importance of education. While navigating the Pack for a Purpose website I found two different organizations in Ecuador and I liked both of their missions, but one was much closer to our hotel. Therefore, I decided to donate to the project supported by Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental. While being a bike rental company, Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental has helped very generously with delivering supplies to schools in the remote villages of Ecuador. You can Pack for a Purpose and take supplies for participants’ projects even if you are not staying with or touring with a participant on the website.
The donation process was a new experience for me, so I talked to my parents and Rebecca from Pack for a Purpose. The idea I came up with was to set up a GoFundMe page, so I could afford all of the supplies I needed. It was a very easy process, you can share it by email and such and once the word gets out everyone is willing to help. Once I received the money I needed, I started shopping. I went to the Dollar Store and Walmart and got some great deals. I purchased pencils, pens, erasers, soccer balls, and much more. Then, I packed all of these supplies in an old suitcase, so I could leave it at Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental. Pack for a Purpose has a great page on how to pack efficiently, which helped me especially with my sport equipment.
Pack for a Purpose did a great job putting us in touch with the company. It can be difficult to use your phone while out of the country, so we had been emailing for the previous week before my arrival. We had a time set up for the day and it went very smoothly. Upon my arrival we met with the owner of the company, Court, and got to hear about his story and what inspired him to start doing bike tours around the country donating goods. It was such a rewarding experience to get to give all of the supplies I could.
I would definitely recommend Pack for a Purpose because receiving donations and going out and getting supplies is so easy, and has such a large impact on people in need.