There is a great place in Thailand where the weary can rest. This is not a place for just any vacationer; it’s not a five star resort. Instead, this sanctuary of sorts is a special place for wayward aid workers, hard at work rebuilding the chaos that the 2004 Asian Tsunami and other disasters around the world created.
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake created disaster of epic proportions – and Thailand was one of the hardest hit countries. Immediately people from all over the world stepped up to help their fellow man. Innumerable amounts of volunteers did their part in the effort to rebuild homes, buildings, roads and lives. Yet for some, this was not simply a weekend project. Many of the volunteers who dedicated their time and talent still live and work in Asia, and that’s where the idea for this rest home began – this nonprofit workforce from all over the world needed a place to rest while in between its tours of duty; rest in a place that serves as a beachfront vacation home for those who most deserve a vacation.
Adding to the giving spirit that already surrounded these endeavors, a local named Lon offered the volunteers her home. This, coming from a woman who lost her husband and several other family members in the tsunami. The workers, who operate under Reach Global and are led by Dean Overholt, knew they could not accept it without giving something in return, so Dean offered a 15-year contract – and promised to triple the size of the house before giving it back.
Unfortunately this project hit a major speed bump when, as so often happens, funds were depleted. Construction was stalled, and the goal of completing the rest home by Christmas seemed impossible. But impossible it was not – Catalyst Exhibits decided to fund the final phase by paying for the final three months of construction.
Today, this house is sanctuary to the non-profit individuals working for the poor in Asia. But the monthly operating costs will still ensue… and that’s where Catalyst Exhibits stepped in again. Catalyst will also fund the ongoing day-to-day fees as our way of saying thank you to these dedicated, selfless men and women. And we look forward to welcoming our first two families, from Malaysia and Indonesia, December 29. We hope they find the type of rest they so need and merit.
Check out our pictures. These are people like you, working to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. So yes, we think they are pretty damn inspirational. And if you want to help but are unable to donate the time, Dean and his team could use sports equipment and vehicles such as motorcycles, mountain bikes and sea kayak, which would be used heavily year-round.
Click here to contact us for more information.
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You know, I have to tell you, I genuinely savour this blog and the informative insight. I find it to be refreshing and very informative. I wish there were more blogs like it. Anyway, I felt it was about time I posted a comment on Rest for the Weary | Area 3 – I just wanted to tell you that you did a good job on this. Cheers dude!
Sawadee Kha! I’m about to go to Bangkok and I’m very excited about my holiday. Already booked the flight to Suvamabhumi Airport and from there we’ll go travel around Chiang Mai and of course stay a couple of days in Bangkok, I saw your awesome blog on Google and it seems that you know a lot about Thailand. Would you please give me a hint where to stay in Bangkok? I’ve heard there are a couple of fantastic resorts in the main city and in the south… Thank you in advance!
[...] good to give something back which is key reason we helped fund the final stages of the Genesis Rest house in Thailand. It set out to be a sanctuary of sorts for weary charity workers in Thailand, who [...]
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