Southeast Missourians go voluntouring

MORE PEOPLE ARE TURNING THEIR VACATIONS INTO VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES, BOOSTING THE HUMANITARIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY AND CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE TRIP AT A TIME.

"There's no way to go and not be changed." That's how Carolyn Kempf describes her recent humanitarian trip to Haiti, where she and a group of other Cape Girardeau area women delivered birthing kits, worked in a children's hospital and visited Heartline Ministries, a program targeting disadvantaged women.

"You cannot drive the streets of Haiti and not weep," says Kempf. "The poverty is overwhelming; millions of poor people in tent cities, living in shacks, or people laying along the streets with oozing wounds. It made me thankful for what I have, and it certainly gives you a heart for service, a desire to do more."

Kempf is just one of many -- from individuals and couples, to families and service groups -- taking humanitarian trips, or volunteering while on vacation. And as a travel agent, Kempf understands the ins, outs and special details involved in planning that type of trip. "There are people coming out of Cape Girardeau every week going somewhere in the world to make a difference," says Kempf, who is owner of Elite Travel Inc.

At Elite, Kempf sees clients booking trips to destinations such as Africa, Haiti and South America, especially service organizations and church groups. Elite offers special humanitarian fares that are guaranteed to be the lowest available. And if there's a mandated fee that would allow Elite to profit from booking the trip, Kempf says she donates 50% of that fee to the organization involved in the trip. "That's just one way I try to be a service to my community," she says.

Beyond the lowest rates available, Elite offers clients additional no-charge benefits in planning the trip, and providing assistance if any issues should arise during the trip. Kempf says her team walks clients through everything the trip entails, from vaccines needed, to packing and safety tips. "That education really saves clients time," she says "That's not something we charge for; it's a bonus for our clients." Elite also offers a wide variety of resources for humanitarian trips on the agency's website, at www.elite-trips.com.

Elite also works with destination companies that have a reputation for supporting the communities in which they operate. "We like to promote Sandals, for example, because they sponsor orphanages and building projects, like schools, in areas where they have resorts," says Kempf. Visit www.jamaica4me.com for details. Kempf also promotes Travel Guide, a travel insurance company that sponsors a different project each year, like helping street orphans in Rio de Janeiro.

Aside from humanitarian trips and promoting community-focused companies, Kempf also offers clients the opportunity to blend a traditional vacation with a life experience. The Jamaican government, for example, offers travelers a chance to stay for a few days with a Jamaican family, living their lifestyle and learning about their culture. It's a great hybrid of humanitarian trips and traditional vacations, says Kempf.

For more information about humanitarian trips or voluntouring, contact Kempf at (573) 334-1234 or carolyn@elitetravelinc.com.