Odysseys Unlimited

At its best, travel affords us a chance to see the world from a different perspective — to gain insights not just into other cultures, but perhaps into our own way of life as well. Watch our newest video, narrated by Odysseys President Bruce Epstein, to learn how giving alms to local Laotian monks, enjoying tea with a Turkish family, or visiting with local schoolchildren in Botswana can serve to broaden your outlook on the world as a whole. Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e6s4FYgv

We celebrated Black History Month recently with a pair of events sponsored by our DEI Committee. First, we welcomed award-winning speaker Carole Copeland Thomas to Odysseys, where she gave a virtual presentation on the many contributions that the Black community has made to the travel industry. Then, the following evening, a number of Odysseys employees gathered at MIDA—a local Black-owned restaurant—to enjoy some of the finest Italian fare in the Boston area. #BlackHistoryMonth #lovewhereyouwork

Recently, Odysseys employees had the opportunity to attend three financial wellness education sessions hosted by our dedicated retirement advisor, James Richardson, AIF? from Gallagher. In addition to breaking down the advantages of our company-matched 401(k) program, James presented employees with a primer on our optional health savings and flexible spending accounts, as well as an Investing 101 session for those looking to take charge of their financial future. Trainings like these are always recorded and available to access at any time, for all Odysseys employees.?Thank you, James!

“We travel with Odysseys because we always have great guides, love the variety in the tours, accommodations are wonderful, [we] have felt safe wherever we have been, and it is a good value for your money...a great experience.” -- Dorine Lilly, 8-time Odysseys guest, Mount Pleasant, MI Feedback like this means the world to us, and we are proud to once again be nominated for Travel+Leisure's World's Best Awards. Odysseys has been voted as one of the world's best tour operators seven times in these prestigious honors, and this year's voting closes on Monday, February 24th. Casting your vote is quick and anonymous, and every voter has the chance to win a cruise for two or up to $15,000 cash from T+L. Make your voice heard here: https://tlwbavote.com

The Odysseys office was on sweetness overload this week, as we celebrated Valentine's Day with cake pops and cupcakes, plus donations and messages of care for the patrons of our local food pantry. #valentinesday #odysseysunlimited #lovewhereyouwork

This week we gathered at Bar’Cino in Watertown, MA, for the annual Odysseys holiday party. Together, our hardworking employees – and a group of visiting tour directors from around the world – rang in the holiday season with delicious food, fun raffles, and great company … a wonderful celebration all around! #odysseysunlimited #companyholidayparty #happyholidays

Last week, we held our 11th annual Veterans Day Fundraiser and Breakfast at our Newton, MA office, where we served up a delicious meal courtesy of Baker's Best Catering, enjoyed a slideshow honoring all the brave veterans and active-duty service members who are special to us, and raised money for the Home Base Program. A collaboration between Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation, the Home Base Program provides mental health support services and other resources to veterans, service members, and their support networks. Odysseys contributed $2 for every $1 employee donation, bringing the total amount raised at the event to $2,403 – and $16,176 in the last 11 years. Learn more: https://homebase.org/ #homebaseprogram

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we invited some guests to our Newton, MA office last Thursday. More Than Words – a Boston-based nonprofit that empowers system-involved youth, such as those in foster care, to run an online and retail bookstore – set up a pop-up bookstore in our atrium featuring books by Latinx and Indigenous authors, and local Argentinian-owned restaurant Che Empanada served up a variety of delicious empanadas for lunch. Thank you to our in-house DEI committee, More Than Words, and Che Empanada for helping us celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in style! #officeevents #nationalhispanicheritagemonth #morethanwords #cheempanada #lovewhereyouwork

It’s already been a busy Pride Month here at Odysseys Unlimited! We kicked off the month’s festivities on June 4th with a Pride breakfast at our Newton, MA office – complete with rainbow-colored bagels – and a Pride tie-dye party the following night. Then, last Saturday, a group of Odysseys employees and their friends and family marched in Boston’s annual Pride parade to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community of Boston and beyond. Thanks as always to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for organizing so many great events to celebrate Pride Month! #happypride #pridemonth2024 #bostonpride #loveislove #lovewhereyouwork

The past month has been all about wellness and giving back at Odysseys Unlimited. Throughout much of April and early May, employees competed in a fun pedometer contest, with team “Walking on Sunshine” walking away with first place. And on Sunday, May 5th, a team from Odysseys Unlimited participated in the 56th annual Walk for Hunger to benefit Project Bread, a Boston-based nonprofit dedicated to “making sure that people in Massachusetts can afford enough to eat.” To raise money, our team organized a company-wide raffle, announcing the winners at a healthy snack celebration at our office last Wednesday. This was our 10th year participating in the Walk for Hunger, and thanks to the generosity of our employees and their families, we raised $18,920. Way to go, team!? To learn more about Project Bread, click here https://lnkd.in/gQYBywQ #walkforhunger #projectbread