I recently had the opportunity to join First in Service, a travel management company headquartered in NYC with offices in Miami, Los Angeles, Bogota, Madrid and Toronto, on a “Giving Back through Travel” mission. “Giving Back through Travel” is the slogan of F1S Helps, the philanthropic division of First in Service that focuses on helping those in need. Their most recent project was in Puerto Rico alongside an organization called SBP Puerto Rico.
On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall on the island of Puerto Rico leaving the island devastated. Even today they continue to work at getting back on their feet. I can say this much my fellow Puerto Ricans are strong and resilient people but the reality is they still need assistance. Many continue to live in moldy and gutted homes that they cannot repair on their own.
When the opportunity arose a few weeks ago to join a group of ten people with F1S to offer our services in Puerto Rico, I jumped at the chance to volunteer. I, like many people, donated money when Hurricane Maria hit P.R. but my heart always wanted to do more. F1S showed me it’s never too late to contribute. The feeling of love and strength in the community of Loiza truly warmed my heart and fueled our adrenaline to help as much as we could in three days. You may be thinking how much can one accomplish in three days but trust me – you make a difference!
A visit to OLD SAN JUAN to help support the economy and a little pool time was needed after a hard days work…
If you haven’t tasted Puerto Rican CUISINE, you are missing out!
Our group of ten were split up amongst three homes in Loiza, Puerto Rico which were still in the rebuilding stages as a result of Hurricane Maria.
With my travel business focusing on the wellness market, this trip enlightened me on just how many different avenues wellness travel can take. If you have the opportunity and time to give back, definitely give it some consideration.
*SBP was founded in 2006 after a couple volunteered in Louisiana’s St. Bernard Parish following Hurricane Katrina. They are now a national organization whose mission is to “Shrink the time between Disaster and Recovery”. They have a four-star rating on Charity Navigator. Check out the www.sbpusa.org website for more details.
…. and let’s not forget the DOGS of Puerto Rico. This little guy stole my heart:-)
