There is an awesome way to put a bit of extra space in your luggage to use on your next trip. If you haven’t heard of these worthy organizations (thanks for the tip BootsnAll!) check them out:
Pack for a Purpose or
Stuff your Rucksack
They will give you a list of specific items that are much needed in developing nations, like school supplies, medicine or toys, and you can deliver them to a community, knowing that your time and effort are having a direct impact.
If you’ve participated in an initiative like this drop me a line, I’d love to add a personal account to this post.
And as a side note, talk about packing efficiently: An ex-coworker of mine, Claire Ward, is doing her journalism masters documentary on a really cool topic—ColaLife an organization that takes advantages of Coca Cola’s distribution routes to reach remote communities with supplies. They’ve developed modestly-sized medical kits that can be stuffed into the empty spaces coke bottle leave in their crates, and thus can be distributed anywhere Coke goes. Follow her journey here.
As the Founder of Pack for a Purpose I would like to very much thank you for spreading the word! If you would like to be in touch please contact me at packforapurpose@gmail.com. I would like to ask some questions of other groups we might want to connect with.
With appreciation,
Rebecca Rothney
Thanks very much Rebecca. What a great idea, I’m more than happy to share it with my readers.
I’d also welcome a guest post on the topic, from a more personal point of view, if there is someone you know that would like to share it.
My best,
Una