When I founded Pack for a Purpose seven years ago, I never thought of the initiative as a charity. For me, it was, and is, about providing travelers with the information they need to take the perfect hostess gift for the community they are visiting.
Gratitude and graciousness pack easily. They take up no space but expand exponentially once delivered at a destination. My mother, like many mothers, taught me that you always take a hostess gift when you are invited to enjoy somebody’s hospitality, whether it is a meal or a weekend visit. The person’s economic status is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is making sure the gift will be meaningful to the hostess.
The Pack for a Purpose website provides travelers with the current needs for the projects supported by our participants. With this information, PfaP travelers can make the trip they take go farther than the miles they travel. When they arrive at their destination, they can express their gratitude for the hospitality they receive with a meaningful hostess gift for that community.
Graciousness is an approach that is well-adopted by travelers. While it may be manifest in varied ways from culture to culture, it is always understood. The enhancement for PfaP travelers is in knowing that not only are they taking the perfect hostess gift to express their gratitude to a community, but that the supplies they take benefit those in need. Whether the supplies are for a school, an animal shelter, an anti-poaching project, or a clinic, they make a Big Impact in the community.
In the USA this week, we celebrate Thanksgiving. I give thanks every day for the multitude of travelers who have chosen to Pack for a Purpose during the last seven years and make a Big Impact across the globe. I give thanks every day for the volunteers who support this initiative with their time, talent, and expertise, ensuring that our website is relevant and impactful.
Click here to see more photos of volunteers.
I give thanks every day that Pack for a Purpose travelers affirm my belief that people are fundamentally kind and giving. Show your thanks on your next journey by choosing to Pack for a Purpose. There is always room for gratitude in a suitcase.