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 | May 9, 2015 | Uncategorized
Our first few days in Nicaragua have been so successful. Our friends from San Diego, the Fortune 421 crew and I landed late Wednesday in Managua and the group of us piled into the old land cruiser and set out for El Transito. El Transito is a sleepy fishing village of about 3,000 people, dirt roads, horses, pigs on the side of the road and really basic homes. In 1992 it was practically destroyed from a tsunami and its crazy to see how over 20 years later they are still rebuilding. Makes me think about the destruction in Nepal that just happened and how I hope we can assist them in rebuilding much quicker. We arrived to the first school yesterday and I was shocked to see the very simple, two room structure that was school to about 30 children ages 4 to 10. The yard was just dirt and rocks and the swing set was in such disrepair that only 2 of the 8 swings worked. It was sad because I wanted to push all the kids on swings but they were fighting over the working ones. A couple of the volunteers with us got creative and made soccer goals out of rocks and played with the one ball they had while the rest of us brought out the coloring books and colored pencils we brought. It was amazing to see the kids excel at coloring and they were so proud of the pictures they drew. It is a great activity to do with kids and volunteers, because even with a language barrier it is fun to name...
by GBP | Apr 25, 2015 | Uncategorized
Sea of Seven Colors – San Andres Unwinding to the rhythmic sounds of aqua waves and the tropical taste of Limonada de Coco, a favorite drink among Colombians, San Andres is a lush paradise escape. Lindsay, Sy and I are posted up on Bugry Beach at a hidden bungalow nestled in-between balmy palms with a rainbow painted dock stretching out into the “Sea of Seven Colors”. Que Bonita! Unfortunately, there is a hefty weight that rests on Linz and my shoulders. We fear that sharing photos of this beautiful island serenity portrays us inaccurately and the fun displayed on our social media possibly diminishes all of our hard work. Does posting photos of paradise give the appearance we are on some touristy vacation rather than vigorously pursuing our givebackpackers mission? Our wandering may often walk a fine line between productivity and play but we like it that way! Our work is our play. Shedding light on some of the darker difficulties we face is not always in sync with our inspirational style. Being the Co-founders of an ambitious start-up demands that we wear all the hats and that means we often times sacrifice our basic needs like sleep, proper nutrition and personal finances in order to get givebackpackers off the ground. Building a conscious brand that truly resonates with our values requires diligence, ground research and an endless investment of our time. I rarely know what day it is because there is no such thing as weekends off. We are learning to accept that it is virtually impossible to complete a to-do list that continually grows with each passing...
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