Whether it’s cooking food for the homeless in Thailand or hosting eye clinics in Egypt, students can find a way to have an impact while traveling the world through Revive Service Tours.
Revive Service Tours facilitates service projects around the world, offering a unique way to see the world while serving others in different cultures. Students can choose from over 10 different service destinations, working on a variety of projects.
Revive Service Tours is holding a showcase Thursday, Nov. 14, at the SCERA theater in Orem. It will be interactive; people can walk around and participate in different activities while learning about service opportunities. The event will allow students to travel to different tables set up for each country to learn more about the tours. Not only will they be able to see what the company is all about, there will also be a free tour giveaway valued at over $1,000.
Ryan Ogden, CEO of Revive Service Tours, went on a mission to the Philippines and was inspired to make a difference in the lives of those who have so little.
“It made me realize how small our corner of the world really is,” Ogden said.
Odgen, a UVU graduate, came into contact with Clark Anderson, founder of the non-profit organization Revive Humanity. He has led many service tours to the Philippines. At the event on Thursday, they will be doing a fundraiser for the Philippines to help with recent damage by one of the worst storms in history.
“We will be doing a fundraiser for the Philippines at the event,” Ogden said. “We’ll be traveling to the Philippines in a couple weeks and hand-deliver all donations. We’ll help with typhoon cleanup and restoration.”
Alexis Rohovit, a cultural anthropology major from Queen Creek, Ariz., worked with Ogden at Los Hermanos and became excited at the prospect of getting involved with Revive.
“It was an easy thing for me to get behind because I love service and different cultures,” Rohovit said.
Rohivit now works as a spokesperson for the company doing community outreach. Revive’s goal is to get BYU students involved and understand how traveling with Revive Service Tours can benefit them.
“We want things on our résumés that are going to look really good,” Rohovit said. “Study abroads are great, but Revive is less expensive and they are still getting that cool cultural experience as well as working together as a group on a project.”
In addition to experience that will be valuable later on, Rohovit said the opportunities afforded are once in a lifetime.
“Even if someone doesn’t care about the market value it’s a fun thing to do for yourself and to be able to help other people,” Rohovit said.
The organization works with BYU students and is in the process of becoming an official association with BYU. BYU student Lydia Nielsen, a nursing major from Provo, went to the Philippines and spent a lot of time volunteering in orphanages.
“We were able to improve some of the conditions in a couple different communities as well as prepare for future opportunities,” Nielsen said.
Nielsen is now involved with getting the word out about Revive Service Tours and helping plan events.
“I definitely realized how grateful I am for the life I have,” Nielsen said. “To see what poor conditions they lived in and they are so humble and really loving. They cling to the values that they have.”
The Revive Service Tours showcase will be Thursday, Nov. 14, at the SCERA theater in Orem.
