Voluntourism, or finding ways to volunteer while traveling, has become increasingly popular in recent years, with millions of solo travelers, friends’ groups, and families opting to add a level of service to their vacations each year.
Equity Estates Investors, Don and Tracy Thompson, have been committed to giving back and volunteering time and resources since they met as teens on mission trips to Haiti. After marrying and starting a family, the mission trips were harder to do, so they came up with other ways to volunteer that could also include their children and other family members. One way was by finding volunteer opportunities in the places they visit while vacationing in the Equity Estates homes.
“On one of our early Equity Estates trips, we visited the Dominican Republic and found an excellent local guide,” says Don. “He was able to connect us with a local elementary school that needed supplies. We filled boxes with all the school supplies we could think of and showed up with a van full. They stopped school for the day and our kids got to play soccer with the school kids. Everyone spent hours getting to know each other. We would never have had that kind of experience, that kind of interaction, without the mindset of giving back and asking how we could help.”
Since then, the family has donated time and money to help at an animal shelter while vacationing in Turks and Caicos, met with a Zulu tribe and gave money to purchase shoes for the children in the village during their stay in South Africa, and paid to cater a community event in Los Cabos.
As Don recalls, they didn’t have anything planned ahead of time for the Mexico trip, but learned from the Local Host about a neighborhood near the Equity Estates residence that’s home to the people who take care of the grounds, pool, golf course, and vacation homes within the resort community.
“These are the families that do the work to keep things running and looking great for the vacationers, and their children need day care and afterschool care so that the parents can work,” he says. “So, the parents have formed a co-op to help each other take care of the kids. While we were there, we heard they were having a meeting and hosting a program at the community center, so we asked if we could cater it for them. They would normally just have light snacks like sandwiches and chips, but we brought in a full buffet for everyone to enjoy, and they invited us to stay. So, we were able to do something to give back, and in return got to meet nice people and spend an evening watching a wonderful children’s show at a community center in Mexico.”
TRAVELER VS TOURIST
For vacation volunteers, having the right frame of mind when approaching the idea of service while traveling is key to finding opportunities and successfully integrating volunteer work into your vacation time.
“It comes down to a mindset,” says Don, “Are you a tourist or a traveler? A tourist travels to escape. A traveler travels to experience. You can mix the two—have a relaxing tourist vacation and the experience of helping out in some way while you’re there—that’s what we do. The two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”
The benefits of giving back, of course, are immeasurable—a sense of fulfillment that you’re able to contribute in some way to help make the world a better place and change lives; the ability to make deeper connections to the destinations you visit and get a clearer sense of the culture, history, and people within the community; to see a favorite place from a different point of view; and leave with unforgettable experiences and a thousand little stories that you wouldn’t have if you went only as a tourist.
TIPS FOR VOLUNTEERING ON YOUR NEXT VACATION
If you’re inspired to donate or volunteer in the community during your next Equity Estates vacation, the Thompsons have a few simple tips to help you get started:
- Get excited! When you are open to volunteering, you’ll find opportunities to give back in ways that are right for you.
- Plan in advance whenever possible. Ask the Local Host or Destination Manager for suggestions on how and where you can volunteer or donate. Search online for reputable organizations and do your research before you go.
- Organize what you’ll need to bring for the experience. Have supplies shipped ahead to arrive after you’ve checked in at your Equity Estates home or check them with your luggage.
- If you haven’t planned an opportunity in advance, but decide you’d like to volunteer once you’re there, ask for suggestions from the Equity Estates Local Hosts. They can help you find opportunities to donate or volunteer, based on how you’d like to help.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities will vary depending on location, of course. But here are a few organizations near Equity Estates homes that are worth considering:
- Punta Cana Mike — Organizes school donations and visits to Centro Educativo Shalom in Bavaro, Dominican Republic.
- Potcake Place K9 Rescue — Provides rescue and care for stray dogs and cats in Providenciales; open to donations and volunteers.
- Hands On Maui — Wildfire disaster relief, gardening and farming opportunities, as well as food sorting and distribution, and more.
- Los Cabos Humane Society — Dog walking, cuddling and playing with the cats, and making financial donations are just a few ways visitors can help.
- Anguilla Red Cross — Provides multiple ways to get involved and give back to the community.
- Volunteer in Costa Rica — Offers a wide variety of volunteer options from wildlife rescue and sea turtle conservation to national park and reforestation programs.
- Pack for a Purpose — Offers opportunities to donate and give back in communities throughout North America and around the world. Search by destination or initiative.
- Ocean Conservancy International Coastal Cleanup — Check their online map to find lake, river, and beach cleanup opportunities in the destinations you’re traveling to.
OTHER WAYS TO GIVE BACK
Of course, if the time isn’t right for you to offer hands-on volunteering during your Equity Estates vacations, there are other ways you can make a difference with your investment.
Consider donating some of your Equity Estates travel nights to the charitable organization of your choice. Another of our investors has done this through the American Heart Association. Check with your organization to see what they accept, and then reach out to your Account Manager to learn more about this option if it’s one that you’re interested in.
Or simply seek out opportunities to connect with and support the local communities in other ways during your travels.
“You can learn something wherever you go,” says Don. “If we can’t do something good to help the community that we’re visiting, we’ll at least make time to explore and experience the culture while we’re there. We visit museums and local businesses or hire a driver that can share the history of the destination and take us outside of the tourist spots. This way we leave feeling like we’ve really connected with the people and the destination.”
