Hi Paradise Seekers! One of my favorite things about traveling is being able to meet great people in my journeys. Last year, I was fortunate enough to get to know some pretty amazing kids in a small rural town in the south of Jamaica. We gave them backpacks and school supplies so they could start their school year with the proper resources. You can see my post about the experience here. 

Since last year’s trip, I have become more involved with the Lynne Mitchell Foundation Inc., an organization whose mission is to help poor kids in St. Elizabeth Jamaica. I’m now a board member and in charge of fundraising and marketing (no pressure). So, I’m super excited to tell you that we have kicked off the foundation’s annual backpack drive and you can help us make a difference!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you have probably seen I’ve been talking about this since Tuesday… but in case you’re not on any of those social media networks, I also wanted to share with you, right here on the blog. So from now until May 31, you can donate a backpack with school supplies for students at Seaview Primary for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year. Since May 1st, when the campaign started, we have already reached $2,000. Join the club and help us reach our goal by donating on this link http://fnd.us/LMFBackPackDrive?ref=sh_87GQKd

I definitely think that one of my favorite things about traveling is opening my eyes and feelings to people and things that are outside of my immediate world. Getting to know how other people live and think, learning about their challenges and aspirations, and sharing stories about our lives, unifies us in such a divided world. And I love to experience that connection. Have you ever had an experience like this while traveling? Have you ever traveled for a cause? Volunteer tourism is becoming more and more popular. Let me know if you’re interested in learning more about this topic on the comments below!