by GBP | Oct 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
Lindsay had dreamed of initiating a sustainable sewing program in Tijuana back in 2016 when we looked at sewing machines and materials as she excitedly talked to an organization down there about empowering the women currently living in the Tijuana dump. Burnt by yet another person that did not appreciate her efforts, The project was shelved, and Lindsay passed in 2017 before it was able to go anywhere. It was something incredibly close to her heart though, as she cared so much about giving women a sustainable opportunity to build their own future. So when I was contacted by a woman from Uganda later that year called “Angel” on behalf of her organization “Destiny Wings” via facebook, I was struck by the similarities in their missions and motivation. There was no doubt in my mind that was the project I wanted to promote. But after some time back and forth, I waited to talk to Angel via skype and hear their Village needs and suggestions. There is no coincidence when I tell you her 20 page pdf on a sewing program she already had prepared was sent soon after. Next was to set a date and find the Give Backpackers team to come with me to Uganda. Having already met a philanthropic world traveller in my father’s hometown spiritual store “The Zen room” next to my yoga studio when I went home between the South East Asia GBP adventure and moving to Vancouver, I knew Mikaila would be keen as that’s what we had bonded over when we met that fateful day. Fast forward a year and...
by GBP | Jan 21, 2019 | Uncategorized
Our second annual Hawleyween without Lindsay Hawley took place on October 20th and was an ode to some of her favorite things: the sunset and the ocean. Raising money for non profit Oceana at The Sunset Restaurant in Malibu, we gathered as friends and family to celebrate the life and legacy of our favorite person and a cause to close to her heart. Oceana’s mission is to make our oceans more biodiverse and abundant by winning policy victories in the countries that govern much of the world’s marine life. They help prevent overfishing, trawling, the killing of protected animals and pollution. Lindsay grew up by the ocean and her favorite place was the beach- especially at sunset- so combining both of her loves was the perfect way to celebrate her Halloween fundraising tradition. Through a raffle with exciting prizes such as vacations and a large painting donated by resident artist Ross McDowell, we also raised money for Waves 4 Water, a charity venture that Live More Happy clothing co founder Gary will be undertaking personally in 2019. Waves 4 Water was started by professional surfers who saw a need for clean drinking water in the villages they were visiting.They work on the front lines to provide access to clean water through the distribution of portable water filters, the digging and renovating of wells, and the construction of rainwater harvesting and storing systems in places where groundwater is not accessible. Where should we have Hawleyween 2019? Let us know your thoughts and if you’d like to get on board to help out 🙂 ~ Namaste Kelly...
by GBP | Jul 11, 2018 | Uncategorized
In memory of Lindsay Marie Hawley, we continued the Halloween tradition she started all those years ago by throwing her annual Hawleyween fundraiser in San Diego October 14th 2017. It was a roaring success with over $7,500 raised towards Peruvian Hearts, a non profit that builds female leaders in Peruvian communities through education and mentorship. Lindsay had raised money and visited the Cusco center during Christmas of 2011, providing scholarships for girls to get a formal education, doing arts and crafts and pampering them with mini spa sessions. In June of 2018 our very own Give Backpacker Carissa Castro travelled to visit the girls we helped through our donations. She spent time in Cusco getting to know the community and as we did in Cambodia of April 2017, Carissa went first hand to see where our money was going. It is our mission with Give Backpackers to travel to the communities we are raising funds for, with at least one trip each year. Stay tuned to hear where our next one will be… ~ Namaste Kelly Pantaleoni...
by GBP | Sep 11, 2017 | Travel
It’s with a heavy but inspired heart that I write the first blog post since the Give Backpacker’s founder Lindsay M. Hawley’s passing on New Years Day 2017. She was more then a best friend, she was my idol who made me want to give back, travel and live more. Lindsay was a guiding light for so many of us, and her shocking and sudden death left us all speechless. Unsure how to deal with the loss and feeling the urge to do what she always inspired me to do, I chose to embark on a wild journey through South East Asia that April, flying out of LAX on 4-14-17. Following in her footsteps quite literally, I researched all the places she went to and asked a couple mutual friends if they’d like to join my quest to keep Give Backpackers alive. Even though our kind hearted friend is gone, we can keep her spirit with us in so many ways. This was my way of keeping Lindsay close, and I learned so much along the way. I encourage others to follow their heart when dealing with pain and loss, it helped me so much and I cannot wait for the next trip. This is a brief summary of the latest Give Backpackers journey, hopefully I’ll see you on the next one! I flew to Siem Reap with Elliott Breit, a friend of Lindsay’s and Give Backpacker advocate from San Diego. Carissa Castro, a long time friend and fellow model that worked for Lindsay’s other company LMH promotions (yeah, Linz was a badass), had already arrived the night before....
by GBP | Dec 1, 2015 | Cause, Connect, Givebackpackers, Shop, Travel
I do not believe in Black Friday and I do not believe in Cyber Monday. Today is #GivingTuesday but I believe every day should be a Giving Day. Givebackpackers was not started to sell the world more stuff. It was started on the idea of connecting purpose driven travelers and good causes to the resources they need to do more good in the world. We first introduced the concept of selling handmade goods from around the world after I had some success selling Mexican artisan accessories on Krissy’s etsy shop to raise money for Door of Faith Orphanage in Baja. On our trip around the world last year we collected the most amazing handmade things along the way and began selling them online and at markets and events. It was a lot of work to keep that much inventory organized and to physically manage all of it. I quickly realized the idea of selling stuff did not align with my values and my mission to create meaningful experiences that made an impact. Earlier this summer Krissy and I parted ways as business partners. She kept the stuff and started a new company, Twin Peaks Apparel and the Givebackpackers got back to what we do best, travel! We have made two different trips to Nicaragua, where we are funding a clean water well in a rural village and sponsoring a school with supplies, security, playground equipment and seriously needed upgrades to the school. Each trip had about 5 volunteers from all backgrounds, with the shared goal of traveling with a purpose. (We made plenty of time for fun adventures like...
Recent Comments