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“You don’t have to give a million-dollar endowment to make a difference in people’s lives,” says Jamie Jones. “Smaller actions, if you do them all the time, can add up to make a big difference.”
Jamie, the second-generation owner and chief operating officer of Whirlaway Travel, was raised to be aware of the wider world around her—and to help better the lives of others. Locally, she supports the Kolbe Fund, which covers travel expenses for families of seriously ill children, and Christian’s Compassionate Mission, dedicated to ending suicide and erasing the stigma of mental illness.
That dedication is part of her business too. Whirlaway picks a different non-profit every month and hosts a lunch-and-learn event, matching donations.
Jamie’s efforts aren’t only local. Travel is her life, and she says it’s the best way to understand other cultures. “The only way to understand how others live is to get out of your bubble,” she says. “We love to set our clients up with a local guide for one day, even if every other day is spent relaxing. It’s a safe way to get to know the area you’re visiting.”
Jamie also supports Me to We, a social enterprise promoting health, education, and economic development projects abroad. Its mission echoes Jamie’s love for Africa. “I’d always wanted to go, and when I got to Botswana in 2013, I just felt like I was home,” Jamie says. Whirlaway donates $100 for every trip to Africa booked in 2017 and 2018.
“You can make a difference every day, if you take your blinders off and realize we’re all in this together,” Jamie says. “Give a part of yourself to someone else—there’s a lot of good people in the world.”
