Local Fisherman Feeding Families and More

As the pandemic continues to pose economic challenges to many families and businesses in the Jaco area, it is inspiring to see the amount of support and assistance that is being provided by those in the community.  Recently a coulple of local fisherman came up with a great idea to donate fish to feed families in need, which lead to them creating their own foundation with aspirations to now do much more than helping feed families.

A REEL DIFFERENCE is a program initiated by Justin DeBoom and Captain Brandon Walton who fish out of Los Sueños Resort & Marina. Watching the economic devastation take hold in the coastal communities of Costa Rica due to Covid and the measures taken to combat the virus, they knew they wanted to help.

Justin DeBoom lives in Jaco and works as a travel agent specializing in sportfishing vacations

Brandon and Justin live in Costa Rica and witnessed the strict measures of the government in its efforts to combat the pandemic.  In March, tourism was shut down as Costa Rica’s government stopped all incoming tourism traffic to slow the spread of the virus. Things got tough almost immediately.  It was in July, just days before the second full lock-down that Jaco was dealt another blow. They witnessed areas of Jaco suffer extreme flooding with many households losing everything because of these floods.  Because of the government restrictions, household goods and clothing had been deemed “not essential” and were outlawed from being purchased.  The thought of the economic hardship faced by those who also were suffering from a natural disaster drove Justin and Brandon to seek ways to help.  And, being fishermen, they went fishing.

Brandon Walton is the captain of a 60′ Viking at the Los Sueños Marina

But their vision goes beyond just donating fish. With the donations, they plan to feed more families by utilizing the world-class charter fleet.  Supporting these local fishermen who have not had a client since March is another way to improve the lives of all those affected.  They also plan to sponsor educational days in the town of Herradura and Jaco to teach children and teens the potential for a better life through work in the fishing world. Finally, they support other local organizations who strive to better our coastal communities through education, cleanup and conservation!  The great news is that their foundation is a 501c3 chartiable organization that qualifies for donors in the U.S. to recieve tax deductions when they donate.  Learn more and help the cause by going to their site here.