PACK FOR A PURPOSE

Fostering meaningful global travel, one suitcase at a time.

BY ERIN LENTZ

IT started with a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope. When Rebecca Rothney, a longtime schoolteacher, coordinated a trip to Kenya in 2008, she had an a-ha moment. As she corresponded with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy on her itinerary, the company mentioned they supported a nearby clinic and school. “So we asked them what supplies were needed,” Rothney says. "Their response? A blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. I thought it was a joke. How could a clinic not have these? I was inspired to action.”

Since its launch in 2010, Pack for a Purpose has taken over 414,469 pounds of supplies and essential needs to 55 (and counting) countries. Rothney believes small changes can produce huge impact, and after founding her global nonprofit she’s proved herself right. Working with international hotel partners and tour companies, Rothney created a simple yet impactful model for travelers who want to make a difference, simply by packing a suitcase.

The process? Travelers visit the Pack for a Purpose website, search for the region and country they are visiting, access the “Essential Needs” list, and then pack up a recommended five pounds (travelers can pack more if desired). Needs lists are provided directly by the community-based projects that receive and use the supplies, enabling travelers to make informed decisions and only take items that meet the needs of those who will be using them. Once travelers arrive to their destination, they have directions on where and how to drop supplies off — simple, easy, and highly effective.

“Growing up in the south, my mother always told me, If you're going to visit somebody and accept their hospitality, be it lunch, dinner, or a weekend, you take a gift,” Rothney says. “You say thank you for the hospitality. Gratitude is at the heart of Pack for a Purpose, and when you are expressing this kind of gratitude it is also helping people who really need it."

SMALL EFFORT. BIG IMPACT

5 SIMPLE STEPS TO PACK FOR A PURPOSE

1. Visit packforapurpose.org and select your destination.

2. Find an accommodation or tour company and a project it supports.

3. Choose the supplies you wish to take from the specific items requested.

4. Drop off the supplies at the accommodation or tour company.

5. They will be delivered to the project. It’s that easy!