Not Just Tourists Orange Beach, AL
Not Just Tourists-Orange Beach, Alabama
Not Just Tourists – Orange Beach is a volunteer-based, non-political, non-religious, not-for-profit organization that collects surplus medical supplies from healthcare professionals and institutions. We pack and send them through travelers to small medical missions in need around the world. We also provide medical supplies for international humanitarian missions. This delivery of humanitarian aid is a valuable contribution to improving the quality of patient care.
Our project is about love. Through the work of volunteers, we aspire to:
Change the way people travel and start the journey for ordinary tourists to become humanitarians
Prevent the waste of usable medical supplies and get them to those in most need
Not Just Tourists was founded with the purpose of getting medical supplies to those who can’t afford them. Ordinary tourists are given the means to change the lives of the locals they visit. After seeing first-hand the serious lack of medical supplies in Cuba in 1990, Dr. Ken Taylor and his wife Denise—from St. Catharines, Ontario—started taking medical supplies to remote areas in Cuba. Soon others who were traveling to Cuba began approaching them to take medical supplies too, and the Not Just Tourists phenomenon started.
Since its inception 30 years ago, NJT has spread to chapters across the world, with over 10,000 suitcases and 1,000,000+ lbs of medical supplies and equipment delivered to 82 countries.
Origins of the Project
It all started with a trip to Cuba in 1995. After seeing first-hand the serious lack of medicines and medical supplies in Cuba, Dr. Taylor and his wife (from St. Catharines) started taking medical supplies to remote areas of Cuba. Soon others who were traveling to Cuba began approaching them to do the same. The project has grown and now there are NJT groups in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, London, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Saint John in Canada, and Orange County in the US. These groups provide suitcases of medical supplies for tourists and medical missions. Not Just Tourists has delivered over 10,000 suitcases of medical aid to 82 countries.
Sources of Donations
Our donations are provided by hospitals, clinics, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and medical supply companies who want to help the less fortunate.
Want to Donate? Donations
Processing Donated Supplies
Volunteers, under the supervision of a medical professional, sort and pack medical supplies.
Want to Volunteer? Volunteer
Types of Shipments
Generic contents are sent to clinics and hospitals in smaller towns, villages, and remote areas. Suitcases or backpacks may include examination gloves, syringes, bandaging, sutures, etc. Our bags Do NOT contain any medication. Specific contents are sent to medical facilities that have received suitcases in the past and have sent “wish lists” so future suitcases can be customized to specific local needs. Hospital supplies including more specialized items such as surgical instruments are sent to hospitals.
Transporting Donations Abroad
We rely on travelers and medical missions to transport the suitcases to medical professionals abroad. NJT provides the traveler with a suitcase of medical supplies and small items of medical and surgical equipment. A letter signed by NJT is provided to advise customs officials that the traveler is transporting the medical supplies to a medical facility in the country of destination. This practice conforms to international customs regulations for medical humanitarian gifts. The traveler is asked to bring back a written acknowledgment from a doctor or hospital/clinic representative confirming they received this humanitarian gift. We hope that the humanitarian gift helps ease the suffering of the less fortunate.