United Planet Donations at Work!

Two outstanding volunteers leave a lasting legacy…

A Laundromat… 

In 2005, United Planet partnered with a shelter and orphanage in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala that serves women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Poverty, alcoholism, and a lack of government intervention all contribute to increasing levels of abuse in this town. United Planet volunteers developed a plan that would create sustainable revenue and provide valuable training to the women at the shelter.

After months of challenging preparation, Lavanderia Planeta Unido opened its doors in January of this year. The Lavanderia (Laundromat) now provides laundry services for both tourists and residents of Quetzaltenango.

As a sophomore at Columbia University, Lizzie Lee had a strong interest in business and a passion for volunteering. While working as a United Planet volunteer in Quetzaltenango, the Longmeadow, MA native quickly recognized the Laundromat project’s potential to provide long-term benefits for the women and children of the shelter. Lizzie dedicated herself to improving the marketing and publicity involved in the project and her work helped boost revenues by an estimated 200 percent. She researched competitors, started a delivery service, and distributed flyers in and around the area’s most popular tourist spots.

 Lizzie describes her Quest experience as “one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.” Upon her return home, Lizzie developed a formal business plan for the project. United Planet hopes to use Lizzie’s business plan and the laundromat as a model for similar microempowerment projects in Guatemala and at other United Planet sites.

…and a Library

Rob Flook is a passionate downhill skier who graduated with distinction from the University of Alberta with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and Psychology. Rob is also passionate about volunteering. In March 2007, he decided to spend a month of his summer working in Tanzania at a community center that provides HIV/AIDS education. He wanted to understand how medically underserved communities deal with and manage devastating diseases like HIV/AIDS.

Rob completed his month of HIV/AIDS education at Ezra Ministry in Tanzania and returned to Canada with a much deeper knowledge of the country and the critical issues people there face. “I originally went to Tanzania thinking I would only be teaching about AIDS,” Rob recalls, “but after a week I ended up teaching about human rights, advanced English, and computers. It was truly a once in a life time experience for me.”

Rob,who has completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at University of Alberta, still has strong memories of his time in Tanzania. So Rob decided to hold a fundraising event to benefit United Planet’s Tanzania Country Fund. His “Hoops for Hope” fundraiser on the university campus was a great success, bringing in nearly $4,000.

The first project to result from Rob’s philanthropic efforts will be a library for the Ezra Ministry. During his time in Tanzania, Rob was dismayed to see many books and learning materials gathering dust and unused in the community center. Rob’s gift will mean that a library in the center will now house all the books and learning materials, making them accessible to all students and volunteers.  And for Rob’s work in raising funds, the community had decided to name the library in his honor. 

Learn more about United Planet's Volunteer Abroad Programs in 50 Countries from 1-52 weeks