Today is my Birthday.
The truth is, it’s been a hard two weeks.
Two weeks ago, with tears in our eyes, we had to tell more than 40 employees that their jobs were being put on hold. It was the only way to keep them safe. In those two weeks, we took the food from our hotel and resort and turned it into meals for the families who depend on us.
Because the truth is — anyone can build a business out of wood and walls. What makes ours different are the people. Our team is family, and telling family you can’t provide their jobs anymore was heartbreaking.
But today, I reminded myself of one thing:
👉 In a crisis, you don’t freeze. You move forward. You help others move forward too.
So today, on my birthday:
❤️ We gave more food to the food bank.
❤️ We donated money to build family care packages.
❤️ We set aside more to do it again.
❤️ And we made a plan to keep investing in the community we love.
That plan starts with coconut oil.
We posted signs in the community of Salt Creek, letting everyone know we are buying as much coconut oil as possible from the Ngäbe-Buglé families who make it. These families live in the rainforest behind the beaches, and they create some of the purest, most organic coconut oil on earth.
Why coconut oil? Because every bottle we buy is equal to the money a family needs to buy basic food supplies right now.
We may not be able to move forward in tourism, but that doesn’t mean we can’t move forward in other ways. We’re safe, healthy, and sheltered on this island — and that perspective is the best birthday gift I could ask for.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share how this project grows and exactly what we’ll be doing with all the oil we collect. 🥥🌴
