POINT OF VIEW

Pay It Forward

Pack for a Purpose is helping change the world, one suitcase at a time.

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 that it supported a nearby clinic and school. She asked what supplies were needed. Their response? A blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. The fact that a clinic didn’t have these simple basics inspired action.

Sixteen years later, Pack for a Purpose has gained impressive momentum. Now operating under the Travel Elevates umbrella, Pack for a Purpose perpetuates Rothney’s vision and is poised for further growth. The process to make an impact as an individual, however, remains simple: Travelers visit Travel Elevates’ website, search for the region and country they are visiting, access the “Essential Needs” list, and then pack up a recommended five pounds of necessities (you can pack more if desired).

The lists of needs are provided directly by the community-based projects that receive and use the supplies, enabling travelers to make informed decisions and only bring items that meet the needs of those who will be using them. Once travelers arrive at their destination, they’re given directions on where and how to drop supplies off—simple, easy, and highly effective.

After the 2023 wildfires in Maui, for example, medical and baby supplies were packed in suitcases and delivered to those in need on the island. Meanwhile, malaria testing kits and surgical Oxford handbooks were gathered for Helena Goldie Hospital in the Solomon Islands, in conjunction with Dive Munda, and guests staying at the Fairmont Mayakoba have helped Playa Animal Rescue by simply packing chew toys and leashes, among other needs.

“The school visit turned out to be one of the most special and memorable experiences of our whole trip.”

Traveler Susan Sachs Lipman took school supplies to children in Costa Rica. “The school visit turned out to be one of the most special and memorable experiences of our whole trip,” she says. One boy wasn’t attending school because he had to share footwear with his brother—a reminder that supplying a simple pair of shoes can change a young child’s education.

Gratitude is at the heart of Pack for a Purpose, and when you are expressing a pay-it-forward attitude while discovering new destinations, it is also helping people who really need it, impacting local communities one suitcase at a time.