Sean and Cory Glackin, and their children, prepared for a trip to Gran Pacifica Resort and Golf Community in Nicaragua by going through closets and buying a few school supplies! Sean and Cory, from Colorado, have been traveling for 20 years, and as Sean said, “Since our children, ages 11 & 14, are getting older, they have begun to realize the importance of helping those that might not have as much as they do. They collect items to bring to other countries. We gave them a budget and sent them to a store to get school supplies in the surrounding communities of Gran Pacifica. They purchased the items that they thought would benefit the kids and teachers the most. We hope by bringing some supplies, we will ease the burden a little for everybody”.
This effort is enhanced by our partnership with Pack for a Purpose, a non-profit based in North Carolina, which encourages travelers to pack a few needed items in their luggage and drop them off at their accommodations, where they will then be sent to local community projects. There is always something to pack! ECI Development/Gran Pacifica Resort offers several ways for visitors and residents “to give back”: volunteering time in a project, making a cash donation, and bringing supplies with them.
Holly Wilson, Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator for Gran Pacifica, teamed up with some veterinarians in Nevada, who donated a few spare things for her luggage. These supplies are now being used in dog and cat sterilization clinics nearby to improve the quality of life for animals in Nicaragua. She also buys $1.00 paperback dictionaries in English and Spanish!
Holly and Alejandro Mendoza had the opportunity to deliver some of these supplies and have seen the happiness on the faces of the children, parents, and teachers. This year has been particularly hard, as Nicaragua’s economy has been affected by the current situation in the country. Gran Pacific encourages travelers to support the economy by shopping for needed supplies locally.
People work hard here, and children in the family come first. Parents will skip a meal so that their children can eat, if there is not enough.
In March 2019, part-time owner Kim Hamsom, from Canada, was able to visit several schools with Holly, and had this to say: “I am so blessed to be able to see quick progress in La Ceiba College, including building plans for a new library, and the children here love to play with me.”
Gran Pacifica, and many other local residents and non-profits encourage the opportunity to share the wealth. Bring a few items with you, such as, sport equipment that kids can play with. In the last 4 months, our residents and guests have been able to bring 500 lbs of supplies to benefit local communities.
Bob and Lorraine from Canada brought some books, which they like to read while relaxing in their home. After they were done, they donated to several local lending libraries and a college. Reading books in English is a good way to learn the language. The ability to see how sentences are structured can improve grammar and reading out loud can help with pronunciation. ECI Development’s CEO, Michael Cobb, brings down books and magazines, as they can be used in schools for reading and art projects.
Medical supplies have also been donated by our part-time residents, Sue and Chip Charnley. They donated diabetes monitors, which many people need here. Everyone knows the importance of these, and they can be expensive to buy.
The Little League Baseball Team in a local California community, was blessed by equipment, uniforms, donated by Jason Taylor, a part-time resident.
These are just a few examples of how you can help with when traveling!
Have a safe trip.