It's my Passport and I am Keeping it Safe!

How to protect your passport while travelling internationally

If you are travelling outside the United States, it is highly recommended that you have a passport. The purpose of a passport is to confirm that you are a United States citizen. Since 2011, U.S. State Department has had an increase in passport applications. In 2016, some 18,676,547 passports were issued to U.S. citizens. While travelling abroad you should always take special care in  safely securing your passport at all times! 

Here are F-I-V-E helpful tips to help you secure or replace your passport  while traveling internationally.

1. Purchase a traveler's body safe to keep your travel documents safe. This handy contraption is  an inconspicuous way to keep your cash and credit cards out of the hands of pick-pockets. Invest in a protective cover for your passport. Do not let your passport get wet or damaged.

2.  Make multiple copies of your passport. Place one in your carry on luggage and one in your wallet or purse. Always leave a copy of your passport with a trusted friend or relative.

3. Always sleep with your passport on you. While at the hotel do not leave your passport laying around in your room. Just to be on the safe-side, never allow your passport to leave your sight. Remember, the hotel staff may enter your room while you are away, so always keep your passport on you.

4. If you lose your passport contact the U.S. Embassy and Consular immediately. In most cases, you will need a police report and any costs associated with replacing your passport. 

5. Once you return to the United States make sure to keep a watchful eye on your credit card accounts and credit reports. Remember, criminals only need a small piece of your identification in order to assume your American identity.

If you are interested in learning more about the Davon Green Franklin Foundation or to donate visit: www.dgffoundation.org

Facebook: Davon Green Franklin Foundation

Twitter: dgffoundation

You are invited to join us for an evening of food, fun, and bowling for only $25! All lanes will open at 7:00 p.m. We are also looking for individuals to sponsor each lane for a cost of $250 per lane. Since November 2010, family, friends, and community partners have helped the Davon Green Franklin Foundation to raise funds for the DGF Legacy Award & Scholarship and the Surviving Spring Break 101 program. The DGF Foundation is committed to helping individuals to understand the hidden dangers and vulnerabilities associated with international travel.https://www.eventbrite.com/e/davon-green-franklin-2017-legacy-bowling-night-tickets-36735212008?aff=erelexpmlt

Donations can be mailed to:

Davon Green Franklin Foundation (501c3)

P.O. Box 47223

Baltimore, Md. 21244

Travelers Beware and Know Your Legal Rights!

How many of us remember Michael Fay? While traveling in Singapore, Fay  was charge with vandalism. In 1994, he was sentenced to flogging, which meant that he would be repeatedly hit on the buttocks with a rattan cane.  At the time, President Bill Clinton viewed the punishment too extreme and inhumane.  Fay's sentence was later reduce to four strikes, four  months in jail, and a $3500 fine in Singapore dollars ($2214 in U.S. currency).

In March 2016, Otto Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years hard labor in North Korea. Warmbier's crime was attempting to steal a propaganda poster.  His parents have maintained that their son was tortured, terrorized, and brutalized. In fact, they were unaware that Warmbier was in a coma for over a year.  North Korea stated that the cause of coma was due to a sleeping pill or botulism.  Doctors in the United States would later reveal that Warmbier was in a vegetative state. It was announced that Warmbier died on today. 

It is crucial for Americans to learn and understand the laws of the country that they plan to visit. Our United States Bill of Rights are not UNIVERSAL! What does that mean? The laws in the United States are for Americans residing in the U.S.   In some countries, you can be searched at will and even held prisoner because a  police officer may feel that you are behaving suspiciously. It behooves any traveler to research the laws and customs of the country that they plan to visit before he or she leaves the United States.

Here are a few tips if you are arrested:

1.  Politely ask the authorities to contact the U.S. Embassy and Consular. 

2.  Remain calm and friendly.

3. If you are allowed to use the phone, you may want to call the U.S. Embassy and Consular.

4. Contact family and friends and let them know where you are and give them an exact location of where you are being held.

5. The assistance that you receive from the U.S. Embassy and Consular is very limited. They can not:

• Get you out of jail
• Pay legal fees or act as an attorney on your behalf
• Be responsible for legal, medical, or other fees incurred
• State that you are guilty or innocent of any criminal charges

Your trip abroad can become dangerous or even deadly. American should always respect the laws and customs of the country that they decide to visit.  Stay vigilant, stay informed, and stay safe! For more information visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/emergencies/arrest.html

If you are interested in learning more about the Davon Green Franklin Foundation or to donate visit: www.dgffoundation.org

Facebook: Davon Green Franklin Foundation

Twitter: dgffoundation

You are invited to join us for an evening of food, fun, and bowling for only $25! All lanes will open at 7:00 p.m. We are also looking for individuals to sponsor each lane for a cost of $250 per lane. Since November 2010, family, friends, and community partners have helped the Davon Green Franklin Foundation to raise funds for the DGF Legacy Award & Scholarship and the Surviving Spring Break 101 program. The DGF Foundation is committed to helping individuals to understand the hidden dangers and vulnerabilities associated with international travel.https://www.eventbrite.com/e/davon-green-franklin-2017-legacy-bowling-night-tickets-36735212008?aff=erelexpmlt

Donations can be mailed to:

DGF Foundation (501c3)

P.O. Box 47223

Baltimore, Maryland 21244

A Promise that Begins with a Program

The Davon Green Franklin Foundation's

Surviving Spring Break(101) Program

It would take about two weeks after Davon's passing for the parents of Davon Green Franklin to spring into action.  Davon's parents promised their son that they would continue to share his story in an effort to the save lives of other travelers who may put themselves at risk while traveling internationally. The shock of losing Davon to a preventable spring break tragedy was the driving force to launch the Surviving Spring Break 101 program (SSB101).  The  (SSB101) program was designed to help individuals understand the hidden dangers of international travel.  Over the last seven years, thousands of students have taken the Surviving Spring Break 101 safety pledge.

For the Franklin's, spring break is always just around the corner, so they are always looking for ways to share Davon's message. Many college students consider the Surviving Spring Break 101 program a tradition on their campuses. After hearing and participating in the (SSB101) program, some students have declared that they come back each year for a refresher.  Some individual's that attend (SSB101) for the first time are usually reflecting on some of their past travel mistakes; while others gently wipe tears from their faces.

The Davon Green Franklin Foundation partners with Howard University each year to promote spring break travel safety awareness through “Surviving Spring Break – 101”, a program designed to reduce the incidence of Spring Break tragedies. This program has actively engaged students at Howard University, Morgan State University, Copping State College, Tulane University, Dillard University, Towson University, Stevenson University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Maryland Institutes of College of Art, and the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville. Students are given the opportunity to take the Surviving Spring Break pledge: “I pledge to refuse, reduce, and remove all risks associated with Spring Break."

The Davon Green Franklin Foundation needs your help in assuring that Surviving Spring Break 101 is able to continue saving lives.  The Davon Green Franklin Foundation believes: Spring Break is no longer a respite from the rigors of academics; it is potentially dangerous and even deadly. Davon's parents never expected that he would not return from his spring break travel alive, but one thing is for certain, his story has helped to save countless lives and his legacy lives on.

Don't Just Live A Life; Leave A Legacy.

~Davon Green Franklin

If you are interested in learning more about the Davon Green Franklin Foundation or to donate visit: www.dgffoundation.org

Facebook: Davon Green Franklin Foundation

Twitter: dgffoundation

You are invited to join us for an evening of food, fun, and bowling for only $25! All lanes will open at 7:00 p.m. We are also looking for individuals to sponsor each lane for a cost of $250 per lane. Since November 2010, family, friends, and community partners have helped the Davon Green Franklin Foundation to raise funds for the DGF Legacy Award & Scholarship and the Surviving Spring Break 101 program. The DGF Foundation is committed to helping individuals to understand the hidden dangers and vulnerabilities associated with international travel.https://www.eventbrite.com/e/davon-green-franklin-2017-legacy-bowling-night-tickets-36735212008?aff=erelexpmlt


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Donations can be mailed to:

DGF Foundation (501c3)

P.O. Box 47223

Baltimore, Maryland 21244