International Attention-Grabber with a Special Purpose

Rebecca Rothney, Founder & Chairperson, Pack for a Purpose

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology for K – 5 Teachers, featuring a new international attention-grabber…

Meet Rebecca Rothney, Founder and Chairperson of Pack for a Purpose.

Pack for a Purpose (PfaP) is a web-based non-profit that links travelers with children and adults in need worldwide. The organization facilitates the free delivery of resources, like educational and medical supplies, to schools; after-school programs; medical and veterinary clinics; libraries and other community services in participating countries.

How does Rebecca work this magical gifting? Look at her smile; catch her enthusiasm; experience her hospitality, and you see that Rebecca is herself a magical magnet.

When she began developing PfaP five years ago, Rebecca’s magnetism attracted others to her vision of being an ongoing contributor. Rebecca says, “I grew up with the belief that if you are part of a community, you are responsible for contributing whenever and in whatever way you can.” The worldwide web creates a world community.

When Rebecca conceived of PfaP, she knew that she needed an accessible center to link people in need in countries like Botswana;

Pack for a Purpose has brought more than 57,000 pounds of supplies to more than 400 locations worldwide.

Guatemala; Romania or Philippines, for example, with people who were going to those locations. “I thought that if we make it easy, people will do it,” Rebecca explains. Now five years old, Pack for a Purpose has brought more than 57,000 pounds of supplies to more than 400 locations worldwide.

As the non-profit grows in scope and outreach, Rebecca continues to oversee a team of dedicated volunteers. “A lot of people have an idea for something special,” says Rebecca, “but it takes a team to bring the idea to fruition. I have a fantastic team!” Rebecca and her team manage an extensive website that guides travelers through a simple process of maxing out their allotted luggage space by packing supplies like pencils and bandages for their trips.

Rebecca’s personal journey began in her native Savannah, Georgia (US). When she was ready to start Kindergarten, her family moved to Sarasota, Florida, where Rebecca’s schooling in hospitality began to inform her future.

“My father was an attorney,” explains Rebecca, “and Mom was a homemaker who was also active in my schools and our community.” Rebecca’s mother was a model of hospitality. “Mom would drop dead if I went to someone’s home for dinner, and certainly if I spent a weekend, and didn’t bring them a hostess gift,” says Rebecca, her humorous streak shining through the conversation.

Rebecca’s family also served as a foundation for her future as a teacher, entrepreneur, founder and chairperson of Pack for a Purpose. “My mother told me when I was a child that if I lied, my nose would grow long like the character, Pinocchio. So, when I began to develop PfaP, I used a new twist on talking myself into a commitment to the project. I told a lot of people about my concept; then I had to do it!”

Persistence has paid off for Rebecca throughout her life and careers. (more…)