Ms. Daine Wood Etches, a 5th-generation islander, founded the West End Community Center to meet critical community needs. She describes how this Center provides after-school programs, including English, science, and computer lessons, for children in need of extra support. Her family has donated land for the Community Center, as well as a baseball field, volleyball, and pickleball courts! Listen to ways you can engage in the community, making a difference on your next trip! https://weccroatan.org/
Amy & Windsyr, volunteers, Roatan, Honduras
Hear from a mother & daughter, Amy & Windsyr, who participated in our Roatan Dive and Community Engagement trip. Windsyr shares her experience gaining scientific diving skills around Roatan’s amazing reef, while recognizing the benefits of giving back to the island community. Amy shares how the opportunity to engage in the community gives more meaning and purpose to the trip and expands your world. “What made it so unique was the marriage of the diving with the service – I’ve never seen it before.”
Listen to Dr. Connie Duke, the Executive Director of the Art Creation Foundation for Children in Haiti. Dr. Duke brings products created in Haiti back to the US to sell, generating funding support for the Art Foundation. You can sponsor a student by donating backpacks and school supplies, sending holiday boxes, or providing art supplies. If you live in Jacksonville, attend an art market to see their products for sale! Your purchase makes a huge difference in students’ lives. One small gesture sends ripples across the world!
Hear from Leslie Ramos, Chief Experience Officer with Blue Missions, in the Dominican Republic. BLUE Missions empowers the youth to advocate for a world where there is water for all, forever. Through service projects and sustainability education, BLUE connects families in Latin America to clean, fresh water and inspires young people to lead the way to a water-secure future.
Hear from Caitlin McHale Floreal as she shares her story of Co-founding Project Esperanza (Project Hope). As a young entrepreneur, Catitlin saw a need for Haitians in the Dominican Republic
Project Esperanza primarily (but by no means exclusively) serves the Haitian refugee and immigrant population of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, in the areas of education, social aid, and community development.
Participate in a summer camp, supporting kids’ English skills
Project Hope https://esperanzameanshope.org/
Hear from Celeste Bundy, Founder of Education Equals Hope: exists to provide education for students in desperate and difficult situations around the world. They currently work in 7 countries, (Haiti, Ecuador, Uganda, Madagascar). Their motto is to surround students with a community to make sure they have all the tools necessary to complete their education. They frequently includes supporting students with before and afterschool programs. Students range from 3-30 years old! Relationships are a key part of their service.
https://educationequalshope.org/our-story/
Hannah shares ways to get involved with Faithful Servant Missions, helping children get out of poverty through education and ministry programs. She encourages listeners to consider serving on a trip to Costa Rica, incorporating your skills and passions with the needs of the community. Supporting their English program is one great way to plug in; bring your talents and a heart to serve, they’ll do the rest to facilitate a life-changing experience for you and those you serve.
https://www.faithfulservantmissions.org/
Hear from Sara Hernandez, a Missionary with Faithful Servant Missions (FSM), share how she was drawn to this organization’s collaboration with the local community. She emphasizes how they take time to build relationships to learn about and help address the ‘felt needs’. They have before and after school programs, working alongside local schools. Bring your expertise and they will facilitate the rest…prepare for a life-changing experience! https://www.faithfulservantmissions.org/
Hear from Cheryl Bradford, the Co-Founder of Faithful Servant Missions (FSM) focuses on breaking the cycle of poverty through education and recognizing the importance of education and English for future employment opportunities for those in the community. FSM welcomes volunteers, individuals, or teams to come alongside in support of the local schools. They offer lodging and local cuisine for an authentic experience, fostering relationships and making a positive impact.
https://www.faithfulservantmissions.org/
to improve the spiritual, educational, and physical health of those we serve
Christopher Hill - Hands Up Holidays https://handsupholidays.com/belize/
🎧 Episode Title: Expanding Horizons: Travel That Transforms with Christopher Hill of Hands Up Holidays 🌍
Podcast: Travel With Purpose
In this powerful episode, Aileen sits down with Christopher Hill, the visionary founder of Hands Up Holidays — a luxury travel company with a mission to change lives through purpose-driven travel.
Christopher shares how Hands Up Holidays blends five-star experiences with meaningful volunteer opportunities, creating journeys that enrich not just the traveler, but the communities they visit. From building homes in Zambia to protecting sea turtles in Costa Rica, these trips are about leaving the world better than you found it.
💬 Together, Aileen and Christopher also unveil an exciting new collaboration: a transformational retreat to Roatán, Honduras — marking a brand-new destination for Hands Up Holidays! 🌴✨
This upcoming trip will offer travelers a chance to connect deeply with local communities while experiencing the stunning Caribbean beauty of Roatán — all with purpose and heart at the center.
If you’ve ever wondered how to turn your wanderlust into something lasting and impactful, this conversation will inspire your next journey.
🧳 Ready to travel with meaning? Hit play now
Luxury Family Volunteer Vacations: see amazing sights as part of a luxury vacation, and also experience authentic interaction with local people and give back in a hands-on way.
Start planning your family’s life-changing adventure.
Tara Patten W.
A founding Board member with Soles by Grace shares her story of traveling to Kenya as a volunteer. Here her
Aileen Hale introduces Tara Patten Weisner, a founding board member and volunteer for the non-profit organization, Souls by Grace. Tara shares how she got involved with the organization after being inspired by the founder's trip to Kenya and desire to help provide shoes and other necessities for children in need.
Tara explains the core mission of Souls by Grace: to provide $10 monthly sponsorships that deliver shoes, socks, and other essential supplies to children in Kenya who often lack access to necessities, such as proper footwear. She emphasizes the importance of protecting the children's feet from infection and injury when they must walk long distances without shoes.
Tara describes her transformative trip to Kenya with Souls by Grace, sharing how the joy and gratitude of the people she met there deeply impacted her. She was struck by the children's happiness despite their lack of material possessions and was inspired to find ways to continue supporting the organization and its work.
Tara encourages listeners to consider sponsoring a child through Souls by Grace or even joining a mission trip to Kenya. She highlights how these experiences can be life-changing, helping people discover their unique gifts and passions while making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need.
Aileen and Tara wrap up the discussion, with Tara reiterating the organization's tagline, "Smooth walking is a blessing," and encouraging listeners to stay grateful and recognize that even small contributions can have a big impact. Aileen thanks Tara for her time and enthusiasm.
Shannon Farley, the Founder of Soles by Grace, shares her story of how she discovered the need for shoes to make a tremendous difference in children’s lives. They are partnering with Badda Shoes, a shoe company in Kenya, to grant Soles by Grace 175 pairs of shoes to reinvest in their community. Not only do shoes allow kids to attend school, but they also gives them dignity. Join in, for just $10, you can make such a difference in changing the trajectory of a child’s life
“You go down thinking you’re going to help, but what you see is the contentment that they have …”
If you get a chance to go…GO!! Go with an open mind. You’ll say you’re doing it for them, but it’s the best thing you’ll do for YOU!
It’s one thing to go on a vacation, its so much more to go with a purpose- of doing something for someone else – you learn so much about yourself and you gain so much more for yourself when you help others.
Listen to Julie Proctor, a Founder of Manos de Fe, share her journey of starting this nonprofit organization, supporting an indigenous people group in Panama. She describes the extreme conditions of poverty and the need for an orphanage. Your involvement can make a huge difference in these childrens’ lives, bringing hope and encouragement for their futures.
They will use your gifts and passions to pour into these children; all talents are incorporated. Have your life transformed as you give. https://www.manosdefe.org
Recording minute 5.31 “What’s the change that we see? It’s to see the hope that’s instilled in these girls….” ; “They come from not being able to read and write to graduating high school.”
“If you’re a teacher, in the medical field…whatever your skills or passions, you can apply them at the orphanage.”
3 Pillars: Education, Family Outreach, and Orphan Transition
Hi! this is the description for tomorrow's episode: Hear from Natasha, the President of Stella, a nonprofit organization based in N. Macedonia. Natasha shares ways Stella advocates for women’s empowerment and safety. Several co-founders are Fulbright Alumni, involved in organizing educational workshops and overseeing their flagship mentorship program. Learn ways you can get involved and become a mentor. https://stella.mk/
Listen to Salija, the Founder of the Roma Women’s Rights Initiative in N. Macedonia share ways they are helping the Roma women and girls with education and advocating for their rights. She shares the challenges many face, living in poor conditions without electricity. They work to counteract such systemic problems. Listen and learn ways you may support their vision for basic human rights and empowerment of the Roma women and girls.https://zenisutoorizari.org.mk/
Roma Women Initiative’s vision is for every Roma girl and woman to have basic human rights, such as health care, social rights, and economic rights, on the same level as every other human.
Roma Women Initiative’s mission is to be the leading Roma women organisation who is going to represent, educate and impower Roma girls and women. We as an organization are completing our mission by informing Roma girls and women, with social services and with legal aid aimed at Roma girls and women.
Donor Guidance Director Dora Zuniga ; Project Amigo helps students in the state of Colima, Mexico achieve the education necessary that improves their quality of life and that of their community. Education and literacy are powerful keys to enabling a brighter future for the world’s children, who in turn benefit the nations they live in. For nearly three decades, Project Amigo has helped rural children in Mexico continue their formal schooling up to and including college level.
In existence since 1984, and formally as a U.S. 501 (c) (3) non-profit charity since 1996, Project Amigo provides educational scholarships, material support, enrichment activities and preventive and remedial health care to disadvantaged children and youth in Colima state. Volunteer Work Weeks based at our head-quarters in the beautiful hillside village of Cofradía de Suchitlán allow volunteers from developed countries to engage in humanitarian service and become both friends and sponsors of Mexican children and youth seeking the many advantages of education.
@projectamigo
Hear from George & Will, volunteers from the UK, working in Roatan through Project Trust. They share their experience volunteering for a year with PIER: Partners in Education Roatan. The school where they’ve been volunteering models the impact of teaching English over the year to the kids. “You grow so much personally, while meaningfully impacting others. I’ve learned more in 1 year than 5 years in my own country!”
They encourage volunteers to join in https://www.pierroatan.org/
https://projecttrust.org.uk/volunteering-opportunities/
https://www.wavesfordevelopment.org/