The lesbian travel company, Sweet is making its mark on the community with their passion for social consciousness and awareness.
Shannon Wentworth founded Sweet in January 2008. She wanted to make a difference in the world by harnessing the energy of lesbian travelers by encouraging them to “do a little, a lot”. Wentworth and her benevolent band of “Sweeties” have left their mark, garnering support for the lesbian community around the globe.
“Views on LGBT rights are changing rapidly,” says Wentworth. “We’ve seen Prop 8 and DOMA defeated here in the United States and many countries around the world are embracing marriage equality. Many challenges remain, but I’ve seen firsthand how hearts and minds are opened to our cause through personal interaction.”
Since November 2009, Sweet patrons, informal lesbian ambassadors affectionately known as “Sweeties,” have ventured out on 25 vacations to 12 countries. At each stop, Sweeties participated in community service projects aimed at bettering the lives of local women, children and animals and improving the environment.
Volunteer participating in feral cat project in Isla Mujeres
Over the years, travelers have planted over 7,000 trees, removed 500 bags of trash from beaches, and donated thousands of school supplies. In addition, other generous travelers have personally donated over $350,000 in cash and in-kind contributions and provided over 5,000 hours of community service. In April 2013, singer and songwriter Brandi Carlile matched Sweetie donations during a trip to Puerto Vallarta, purchasing 250 water filters for a community with no access to clean water.
With polls indicating that opinions regarding LGBT rights are more favorable among those who personally know someone who is gay, Wentworth and her team continue to be focused on making the world a better place for women, children, animals and the environment as well as for gays and lesbians everywhere.
“We’ve visited some traditionally non-gay friendly destinations; Belize on our first cruise comes to mind,” Wentworth said. “But ultimately the coverage we received for our work at a local children’s hospital and school kept lesbians in the news for three weeks. It was amazing to see the differences the Sweeties were making simply by being themselves and sharing their time and labor with these communities.”
