Philanthropy
Melanie Tucker, founder of Rare Finds Travel, lives – and certainly travels – by the belief that each of us can make the planet a better place.
Around the world, Rare Finds supports:
- Village Impact, a Canadian mission that transforms rural villages in Kenya by building schools (11 and counting) and bringing education. https://villageimpact.com/trips/
- Charity Water that’s passionate about solving the clean drinking water crisis in our lifetime. Charity Water brings clean drinking water – and therefor education, income, and health – to communities around the globe. https://www.charitywater.org
- She’s The First, that uses scholarships and mentoring to support girls who will be the first in their family to graduate high school. https://shesthefirst.org
- Indigent communities like Kliptown in South Africa, where gifts of fresh fruits and vegetables from the local Farmer’s Market, and purchases of their handcrafts, bring well-being to the residents.
- Indigenous communities like Amaru, a Quechuan village in the Andes, through homestay programs.
Close to Home
- Rare Finds Travel is a corporate sponsor for the ACME Screening Room in Lambertville NJ, and Grounds For Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ.
- Twice each year, Rare Finds supports Shine & Inspire with their mission: if we help you shine, what will that inspire you to do? Rare Finds adopts families with coats and toys at holiday time, and with shoes and backpacks before the start of school each year.
Melanie enjoys being a table sponsor at their semi-annual party for more than 100 underprivileged local kids. Check out the Rare Finds cookie decorating table!
We Love Cuba!
Rare Finds Travel is offer 100% compliant trips to Cuba for both private clients and also for small groups that Melanie personally escorts.
On each trip, Rare Finds employs exclusively locals as guides, drivers, lodging hosts – even sommeliers, biking guides, boxing coaches, dance instructors, and the owners of the nightly paladares where Rare Finds’ travelers go for dinner.
Rare Finds supports the Cuban people through salaries, tips, donations, and friendship.
What does this mean for clients of Rare Finds?
While having the trip of their lives, they commonly will take a small detour to touch the lives of locals.
One example: On a recent trip to Cuba, a group Melanie escorted brought joy bordering on disbelief to the residents, each in their own way – a cycling enthusiast showed up with tire tubes, while an artist visited galleries and painted wide smiles on the faces of Cuban artists by presenting them with fine brushes she had brought from home.
These were not grand donations, but the delight these gifts brought produced in the travelers some of their best, most profound memories.