Almost all adults have their own version of retirement, but how many of those are geared towards helping others?

We all know Rick Steves.

Chances are, you’ve already seen him walking through the narrow streets of the less popular places in Europe. He built a career out of these adventures and opened the world to travelers who wanted to see the world without breaking the bank.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRPurQuDBYI/

But unbeknownst to people, Steves is also passionate about something else entirely.

Through his travels, he sees the world through a different set of lenses. While he tours with people who have the means to fund an adventure, he also encounters those who live in the streets. While his guests can check in to hotels and BnBs, other people don’t know if they’ll have a place to sleep at all.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4k5OkQlIUi/

To share his perspective, Steves admitted in his blog that he deliberately booked clients to terrible rooms just so they can appreciate the basic necessities that they’re enjoying back home. He also booked accommodations late in the afternoon so clients can feel the anxiety of homelessness.

These methods are radical, he admitted, and he knew that there are other ways to get his message across.

Something much more efficient, lasting, tangible, and impactful.

With the fortune he made from his travels and tours, Steves embarked on a retirement project – Trinity Place.

Trinity Place is a refurbished apartment complex located in Edmonds, Washington. What Steves had in mind was to turn this property into a housing project for homeless people. There’s no “rent”. His tenants pay by “winning their life back” without worrying where they’ll sleep.

His pet project, with the help of the YWCA and the Rotary Club of Edmonds, is to give struggling single mothers a second chance to be who they ought to be – parents. These homeless women have battled “drug addiction” and were trying to get their lives back together with their kids.

Through this project, Steves hopes that he could provide them a place of healing, nourishment, and love.

“Moms have big hearts.” Steves shared in an interview with King 5. “Because love dominates their outlook. And they have kids on their laps. There’s got to be a way to support them.”

While the entire project aims to push back against homelessness, the people who worked for Trinity Place sees it differently. More than just a roof over families’ heads, mothers get to be reunited with their children. It’s a chance to build back a family. It’s a chance for these people to regain the power to decide for their future.

Back in 2016, Steves had helped 61 mothers and their families.

His original plan was for the housing complex to be donated to the YWCA after his death but after making himself more financially flexible, he found no reason to dilly-dally with his decision. He donated the entirety of the property to YWCA so it can continuously carry out its intended purpose.

Retiring with a yacht is great and all, but what if we could do so much more?

Watch the video below!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: YouTube – KING 5, KIRO 7, Seattle Times, Rick Steves, Instagram – @ricksteveseurope