I still remember the impact that flooding in North Carolina had on me the summer before my senior year of high school. I spent a week in NC with my youth group helping to rebuild a church following a flood. We stayed at a local school and battled the summer humidity. They took us on a tour through some of the worst hit places – places where people would not return to. To this day, I still choose to donate funds to relief organizations that help communities following a tragedy such as a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, flood, etc. So many times people are unprepared for this type of chaos and loss.
When I learned how impacted South Carolina had become following Hurricane Matthew I selfishly thought about our Widow Voyages trip scheduled there in early December. Would we still be able to go? Was our hotel impacted? Would people want to travel to a place where a hurricane had just hit? I was grateful to hear from our hotel that all was OK and although other parts of South Carolina are still impacted, Charleston was mostly spared.
So what do we do to move forward? How do you go to a state and enjoy a trip while knowing others there are still suffering? South Carolina tourism gives $18.4 billion into their state’s economy. Most of us don’t think about tourism leading to economic growth, but tourism leads financial success in many states across the United States, including my home, Pennsylvania. This economic growth helps stabilize a state’s budget to provide much needed assistance during natural disasters such as Hurricane Matthew.
My business plan has always been to give back a percentage of all profits to the widowed community. Although we aren’t making a profit yet, I will be giving a 10% donation of all profits made for this trip to the South Carolina Red Cross. We need 10 people to sign up by October 30 for this trip to be confirmed. This is one way I can give back to this community besides bringing some of you to this beautiful lowland city. You can register HERE or you may choose to donate directly to the South Carolina Red Cross.
