BeachCorps

BeachCorps BeachCorps impact travel uses great vacations and people-to-people engagement to empower worthy nonp A single grain of sand means little. Like the idea?

There are many excellent volunteer vacations (and other not so good voluntourism), but none are based on great vacations supporting worthy nonprofits through people-to-people engagement. It's not about changing the world in one vacation; it's about using regular, fun vacations to empower existing great causes, little by little, one day at a time. It's about projects where the heroes are the locals

working to improve their lives and their communities, not the volunteers. This is the philosophy of the BeachCorps motto: "A Little Grain of Sand." One volunteer's impact means little; a hundred volunteers' impact over time means a lot. Then follow us on social media. See www.beachcorps.com for more info. The Dominican Republic is perfect for developing this new kind of tourism, with it beautiful beaches and hotels, proximity to the USA, abundant quality volunteer opportunities, and vibrant culture that welcomes foreign tourists. BeachCorps will develop mass market “voluntourism” in the Dominican Republic the way ecotourism developed in Costa Rica, creating a new tool for helping people everywhere, while avoiding the mistakes of other voluntourism models that contributed to a culture of dependency. Unlike other impact travel models, BeachCorps will combine the power of four channels of support for established, worthy nonprofit causes: 1) the work of volunteers, 2) direct donations from volunteers to worthy causes, 3) people-to-people engagement that educates, inspires and uplifts, and 4) the strength of social media so volunteers can testify to worthy causes once they confirm them in person. BeachCorps is founded on sound sustainable development principles and lessons learned from existing volunteer vacations. BeachCorps: 1) avoids one-off projects designed to please volunteers, creating instead sustainable projects with real impact; 2) knows that the funds volunteers contribute have more impact than the work; 3) empowers beneficiaries and avoids a culture of dependency; 4) partners with other businesses to create win-win scenarios; 5) knows that the best way to help people is by helping to develop great nonprofits and networks of support; 6) ensures volunteer work supports and does not undermine local employment, and; 7) promotes transparency by clearly separating vacation expenses from donations to a worthy nonprofit cause. 100% of your donation goes to the cause.

Coming in to see the residents!
18/03/2020

Coming in to see the residents!

The Beach Bum 😎was pleased to support the visit of the Interact Club of Punta Cana-Bavaro to the Hogar de Ancianos Divin...
18/03/2020

The Beach Bum 😎was pleased to support the visit of the Interact Club of Punta Cana-Bavaro to the Hogar de Ancianos Divina Providencia (Divine Providence Home for the Elderly) in Higuey, Dominican Republic 🇩🇴. The kids brought song 🎼dance 🕺💃🏾 food 🍗and good cheer 😁 all the while being careful to respect the guidelines for preventing the spread of Coronavirus 🦠(which is still almost nonexistent in the Dominican Republic-Thank God!) 🙏

Thanks to for your continued support for the Ann and Ted Kheel Polytechnic School in Punta Cana and for the great kids ...
29/12/2019

Thanks to for your continued support for the Ann and Ted Kheel Polytechnic School in Punta Cana and for the great kids of the Club Interact Punta Cana Bávaro! The Beach Bum says Baby!

23/12/2019

The Beach Bum was so happy to be with the to celebrate a sustainable Christmas with a "tree" made from recycled plastic bottles! We launch our great Interact community service trips this summer. Give us 5 hours from your beach vacation and make a difference!

18/12/2019

The Beach Bum 😎 loves these!

The sends thanks to for the support of our beach clean up project for !
17/12/2019

The sends thanks to for the support of our beach clean up project for !

To celebrate World Interact Week the Beach Bum 😎 wants to share the great INTERACTion between Randall Mercedes, the Dist...
09/11/2019

To celebrate World Interact Week the Beach Bum 😎 wants to share the great INTERACTion between Randall Mercedes, the District 4060 (Dominican Republic 🇩🇴) Interact representative and a member of the and the Interact kids of the Columbia Heights Educational Campus (CHEC ). More proof that ! Thanks to for its support and to for Randall’s air travel!

The Beach Bum 😎 had a blast setting up the FIRST one week Interact exchange with the Richard Wright Public Charter Schoo...
08/11/2019

The Beach Bum 😎 had a blast setting up the FIRST one week Interact exchange with the Richard Wright Public Charter School ! Randall Mercedes is the District 4060 (Dominican Republic 🇩🇴) Interact representative and a member of the . More proof that ! Thanks to for its support and to for Randall’s air travel!

30/07/2019

The Beach Bum works with a LOT of great people to clean up a local natural swimhole! (Actually as you can see the Beach Bum mostly stands around and lets others work) 😎

The Beach Bum 😎 was so happy to help clean up the beautiful Hoyo Claro, a beautiful, non-touristy swimming hole in Punta...
30/07/2019

The Beach Bum 😎 was so happy to help clean up the beautiful Hoyo Claro, a beautiful, non-touristy swimming hole in Punta Cana 🏝. Thanks to Runners Adventures and Swimwear Project Tortuga and popsicles

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Let’s Reinvent “Voluntourism” Together

Hi, I’m David Searby. Together with my Chief Inanimate Recycling Officer the BeachCorps Beach Bum and some amazing local business and nonprofit partners we are BeachCorps. And we are doing it currently FOR FREE! In 2016, I retired from the United States Foreign Service after 27 wonderful years wandering the world serving my country, mostly in Latin America. In 2008, the idea bulb for my company flashed as I was being interviewed on a radio station while serving my second tour in the Dominican Republic. I had started my diplomatic career in 1989 stamping visas in Santo Domingo and years later had returned to this country I loved dearly, this time as the Embassy Press Attaché.

The radio host asked me: “So what do you like about the Dominican Republic?” I began with the obvious: “Well, of course I love the lovely beaches and hotels.” The radio show in Puerto Plata was a few minutes away from world famous “Kite Beach” of Cabarete, where windsurfers and kitesurfers criss-cross the waves daily in soaring, gravity-defying lines.

A short walk from Kite Beach, I had also just seen first-hand the inspiring educational work of an American nonprofit where a friend of mine worked. The Dream Project wasn’t just providing education to kids from poor backgrounds. This Dream was providing hope. It was fun to watch. As the kids played and learned, I realized that Dominican tourism authorities were undervaluing one precious national resource: their own people.

So in response to my radio host, I added: “But I also love some of the great nonprofits that are active here. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get some of the tourists who come to your hotels to support the great nonprofits nearby?” After that lightning bolt moment, I lost focus on the interview as my mind raced ahead.