In one of our first blog entries ever, we explained why all travelers should consider "packing for a purpose" on their next vacation. Now that the Pack for a Purpose organization has a couple more years under its belt, it has facilitated donations of more than 27,000 pounds of supplies to needy schools, clinics, and orphanages worldwide.

We love this idea because it's such an incredibly easy way for travelers to give back. To participate, all you have to do is check the list on Pack for a Purpose's website to see if your hotel or tour operator has registered a list of items needed by their community. Suggested items are usually small and include school supplies, medical supplies, and toys. For example, La Quinta de Sarapiqui Country Inn's list includes crayons, math flash cards, Band-Aids, and stuffed animals. All you have to do is choose your items, pack them in your luggage, and drop them off at the front desk, and the hotel will deliver them for you. And voilà--now you have more room in your suitcase for souvenirs!

Last fall, Michael and Susan Henry visited Ka'ana Boutique Resort and Spa, a Rainforest Alliance Verified™ hotel in the rainforest of Belize. They brought a backpack filled with pencils, calculators, shoes, and deflated soccer balls and left it with the hotel staff to donate to the nearby Succotz Primary School. They visited the school anonymously to see where their donation would be used--a trip that ended up being one of the highlights of their vacation.

"After a brief walk about, it was clear that the school is doing a great deal of good on a limited budget," they recalled. "The children were orderly, but filled with enough laughter and mischief to be indistinguishable from students anywhere else in the world."

Ecoventura, a Rainforest Alliance Verified tour operator that offers yacht tours in the Galapagos Islands, also participates in Pack for a Purpose. Ecoventura donates supplies from its clients to the Alejandro Alvear School, an amazing institution on San Cristobal Island that provides therapy for children with Downs Syndrome, cerebral palsy, deafness, blindness, autism, and learning disabilities.

The Jeffs family visited Hotel Fairmont Mayakoba in the beautiful Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The littlest member of the family was put in charge of choosing and packing the items to donate to the Save the Children community organization, a task he was thrilled to perform!

Pack for a Purpose was started in 2009 by former schoolteacher and sustainable travel enthusiast Rebecca Rothney. More than 365 hotels and tour companies in more than 50 countries have added lists to the Pack for a Purpose directory. The organization has been recognized by Travel + Leisure magazine, winning the coveted Global Vision Award for Best Digital Initiative in 2012. It was also shortlisted in the Travel category of The Guardian's Observer Ethical Awards in 2013.

It doesn't hurt that Pack for a Purpose has one of the most heartwarming Pinterest boards we've seen in a long time! Reading those stories is sure to brighten up your day and inspire you to make a difference on your next vacation.

It's almost as easy for sustainable hotels and tour companies to sign up for Pack for a Purpose. Just visit the submission form and follow the three easy steps!

So tell us – will you pack for a purpose on your next trip?

This entry was posted on January 15, 2014 at 5:09 PM and has received 1372 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.