Visitor to Monterey who is Kind?

Most travel routes to the coastal areas of Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea, as well dordle as the neighboring Carmel Valley and Big Sur, traverse vast stretches of agricultural terrain. In addition to the mythical-looking artichoke, these fields also produce strawberries, lettuces, spinach, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower. We saw farmworkers slumped over in harvest as we made our way to Bernardus Lodge & Spa and The Sanctuary Beach Resort, two of the three Kind Traveler partner hotels in the vicinity. After more than four decades here, I've learned that California farm laborers, while being the industry's lifeblood, have long been underpaid for their services. Some of Blotter's emotions in Belize resonated with me. Is there any way I may give back to the community that has been so kind to me throughout my stay here?

Visitors to Monterey may make a difference via the Kind Traveler site by donating to Rancho Cielo Youth Campus in Salinas (where Cesar Chavez was imprisoned in 1970 for spearheading a lettuce boycott, campaigning for the rights of field workers). Rancho Cielo helps low-income area teens graduate from high school and enter the workforce by providing them with vocational training in agriculture, car repair, construction, and culinary arts. Any amount donated by a Kind Traveler user to Rancho Cielo, whether it $10 or $1,000, will be given in full.

A pre-fixe meal at the ranch was a Travel Kindly Experience I arranged and looked forward to. A group of around forty students from Rancho Cielo's Drummond Culinary Academy prepare and serve these meals every Friday throughout the school year. While the students in the kitchen toiled to prepare and plate our orders (which included cioppino, blood orange and olive oil cake, and a pear and arugula salad), we sat in the dining room. Some students worked at the front of the house, where they gained experience interacting with the public and perfecting their people skills.