Pack for a Purpose is a charitable organization that encourages travelers to devote five pounds’ worth of their luggage weight allowance to school supplies, medical equipment and other necessities that can be donated to locals in need. Do you really need that third pair of shoes? Leave ’em at home and instead consider bringing 400 pencils or five deflated soccer balls for local school children (each option adds up to about five pounds, according to the organization’s Web site).
Here’s how it works: You visit the site and select your destination, then the hotel or lodge where you’re staying. You’ll see a description of the charitable project(s) offered by the property as well as a list of desired donations. For example, the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo is seeking items such as stuffed animals, baseball gloves, bath towels and T-shirts to support local orphanages. In Zambia, Kapani Camp (a luxury safari lodge) is requesting educational materials for the Yosefe School Library Refurbishment Project.
In addition to supporting a local charitable project, there’s a bonus for travelers — once you donate your five pounds of supplies, you’ve suddenly freed up that suitcase space for souvenirs to bring back home.
The Pack for a Purpose site currently includes about 470 properties and tour operators. If yours isn’t one of them, you can still use the site as inspiration for your own travels. Before your next trip, contact your hotel and ask whether it supports any local charities for which donations would be welcome. If so, make a contribution and then invite the property to submit a listing on the Pack for Purpose site — it’s free.
Want to make a difference in a more hands-on way? Check out this story from SmarterTravel.com on Volunteer Vacations.
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