Visit to Direct Relief Office & Warehouse, Santa Barbara

Today we had a very memorable, inspring and humbling day.

Many moons ago (way back East, when we didn't dare think about our arrival in San Francisco)-we had arranged to visit Direct Reliefs' Internationals' headquarters 'on our way past'. Given the ground we've covered, it feels like much more than three months ago that we made that fanciful engagement - it's been eventful and emotional! So it felt surreal cycling 7 miles through sunny Santa Barbara, to meet the charity we had only had online contact with thus far.

We locked our bikes by the large business park and tried to make ourselves look respectable before furtively entering the office... A huge plasma screen above the smiling receptionist welcomed us and we felt instantly humbled! Jonathan, my previously invisible email contact now stood before us, warmly smiling and shaking our hands in turn. He lead us to the boardroom, where the entire office staff sat awaiting our arrival, breaking into applause when we entered the room.

Matt and I were both totally taken aback; we had expected a casual walk around the offices and certainly hadn't prepared any speech! We took turns awkwardly addressing our smiling audience and answering their questions about how we chose to support their charity and general questions about our ride.

Tomas, the CEO beamed at us and asked lots of interested questions, before we were presented with tshirts, a cap and a mug all bearing Direct Reliefs' logo. We were both touched and genuinely humbled. After this tear-prickling display of gratitude, Jonathan and Rebecca (who has also cycled across the US!)-lead us on a tour of the offices and warehouse.

Direct Relief is able to maintain a 100% efficiency rating by relying on donations from a score of pharmaceutical companies. These donations; from toothbrushes to examination tables to insulin - are then distributed globally where they are needed most. As we strolled the warehouse aisles of packing boxes with familiar product names, we realized the epic proportions of the logistics required for such an operation. As Rebecca said 'data is king' -in terms of minimizing waste and ensuring aid is delivered to where it is needed most. Many of the pharmaceuticals have a limited shelf-life, and shipping to remote destinations such as rural Africa takes several weeks. We felt amazed by what the group of people we had just met were able to accomplish. A philanthropic bequest from a Santa Barbaran covers the operational costs of the charity, so that any donations are invested entirely in providing relief to projects in Guatemala, Haiti and Pakistan (to name but a few.)

I have copied Direct Reliefs' website below, so I won't inaccurately para-phrase the good work they accomplish.

http://www.directrelief.org/international/

 Many of you who are reading this blog have generously contributed a donation to Direct Relief via our 'Support our chosen charity' link above. We are extremely grateful; this support has provided much motivation for our ride when the going got tough. The journey almost over, it is so rewarding to witness first-hand the good work that your donations will assist.

This has been a 'Once in a Lifetime' experience for us. If you have not been able to do so, please help us reach our target amount. Not just for us, but for the benefit of all the less fortunate people, who benefit globally from Direct Reliefs' projects. Every little helps! Please spread the word too; it's a small world! Thankyou for making our epic adventure complete.