Spring is in the air and many of us are planning a vacation over spring break or already planning summer vacation trips with the family and can’t wait to start packing.
As I looked for partners in my niche as a Voluntourism specialist at Vacations That Matter, I came across Pack for a Purpose and was overjoyed and inspired by their endeavor to provide people with such an easy way to give back and make a difference while traveling.
As a traveler with my family I’ve been totally inspired to pack as many supplies including clothes, school supplies, medical supplies, hygiene products, etc. as I can possibly fit into our luggage allowance. Over the last year, we’ve had the opportunity to travel to Mexico, Peru, Vietnam & Cambodia, and Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean. We had the privilege of making meaningful contributions to help meet the needs of the places we visited with the supplies we brought and a little bit of our time volunteering with various projects. It’s one way of expressing our appreciation for the experiences and hospitality that we enjoyed in those countries.
It was easy to take good quality gently used clothes, buy new socks, undergarments and hygiene kits, ask friends and family if they had anything they would like to donate, ask school friends if they wanted to make a difference and before I knew it, our bags were full every time. What I love about Pack for a Purpose is the list of items that each destination property provides which makes it so easy to pack just the things that the local community projects need. And the greatest pleasure of all is seeing and feeling the gratefulness and appreciation of the local families and children who are receiving these supplies.
As a partner of Pack for a Purpose, I was just as inspired to try and get as many hotels, resorts, and accommodations throughout the world to get on the list so that travelers could easily support these properties philanthropic efforts in their local communities where they operate and do business. They are already supporting the local economy, creating jobs and bringing tourists to visit their countries, so why not make it easy for their guests to make a difference while visiting and enjoying their vacations. I love working with Rebecca Rothney and together we were able to get all of the Sandals and Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean on the list. I look forward to many more trips as a traveler and partner of Pack for a Purpose to grow the list of accommodations through my networks and travel industry connections.
As they say at Pack for a Purpose, it takes only a small space, requires little effort and still makes a big impact. And as I say at Vacations That Matter, you can have fun, share dreams, and give hope on your next Voluntourism vacation.
