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“I’ve got a half-dozen plants that I planted a few years ago, so
whenever I’m up there, I’ll carefully water them and check their
progress,” says Carolyn Zanko. Her husband, Jerry, laughingly calls
them “our vegetable children.” Volunteers since 2008, the Zankos pack
garden gloves and grubby work shoes for their twice-yearly vacations in
Maui. “If there’s an event to participate in, we’re ready for it,” Jerry says.
“It’s something we look forward to.”
“Our owners who come back each year have realized that there are
only so many times you can go and do a certain activity,” Nolan says.
“Now, they want to enjoy the land and the local way of life, and part of
that is giving back to a place that has given so much to them.”
It’s often sweaty, labor-intensive work, but photos taken over time
reveal substantial progress in Honokowai, Nolan says, adding, “We reg-
ularly meet with county officials, council members, and the mayor, and
they continue to be impressed by the amount of local involvement we
have from a volunteer perspective.”
Dissolving Cultural Divides
Vacationing in a luxury resort on a beautiful beach in Puerto Vallarta,
Mexico, can make it easy to miss the daily struggle of residents living in
poverty only 10 minutes away. The stark contrast hit home for one man
after spending time as a guest in the homes of resort employees he
befriended while on vacation at Villa del Palmar Puerto Vallarta Resorts
& Spa.
The man, JimMcCarthy, enlisted the help of partners and managers
of the resort development company Resorts to create
Directed by a 12-member executive com-
mittee and board of directors representing the resorts and their commu-
nities, the nonprofit foundation has donated more than US$2 million in
cash and essential items — clothing, books, even two school buses —
to local schools, orphanages, and senior-care centers in communities
surrounding Villa Group resorts.
Owners are invited to contribute any number of ways, from donating
school supplies to serving breakfast to local children. The personal
interactions have the most profound effect on owners and their families.
“They talk about how beautiful it is to help, and the great impact that
Eagle’s Wings Foundation is having in their lives,” says Eva Contreras,
foundation president. “And they always look forward to returning soon
and serving more often.”
The Feel-Good Amenity
Voluntourism may just be the new wellness. According to United
Health Group’s Doing Good Is Good for You: 2013 Health and
Volunteering Study, respondents said volunteering improves their
mood (94 percent) and reduces stress (78 percent). An overwhelming
majority of volunteers interviewed (96 percent) reported an enriched
sense of purpose in life. No matter what the task, the simple act of
learning about the world and connecting with people in other cultures
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Cultura RF/Glow Images
Volunteers at Casa Dorada Los
Cabos Resort & Spa participate in
a sea turtle protection program,
ushering baby turtles to the safety
of the sea during hatching season
on Cabo’s Medano Beach. Adding
Meaning
to Your
Amenities
List