What is Voluntourism or Volunteer Vacations?
Voluntourism, (traveling as a short-term volunteer) is different from adventure travel and cultural immersion experiences. A "volunteer vacation" is a working vacation where you serve and learn first-hand about the host community and its people. It is an opportunity to build skills and talents to benefit others in a community requesting outside help.
Who are the volunteers?
Volunteer travel is geared toward individuals, couples, families, religious congregations and groups of all backgrounds and ages (from 12 and up). Volunteers typically share the traits of flexibility, compassion, a sense of adventure and the desire to work with and learn from local people in the host community. Volunteers are drawn from all occupations and backgrounds.
Who is the Program Director?
Patricia Vile has been traveling and exploring the world for over 40 years. After volunteering in Africa and Central America, she was overwhelmed by the need for help from citizens in the US. After a fact-finding trip to New Orleans in 2006, Patricia organized her first service trip, or volunteer vacation, to New Orleans in 2007. Currently, she is designing volunteer vacations for groups across the US. Her trips have touched the lives of hundreds of volunteers and citizens of New Orleans.
Before initiating volunteer vacations and creating Volunteer Expeditions, Patricia worked in health care. She continued various volunteer activities with Chicago not-for-profit organizations throughout her career.
What will I gain by volunteering?
Traveling as a volunteer can be a life-changing experience where you can make a difference. You will:
- Broaden your perspective
- Give back to society in a practical, compassionate way
- Share insights with like-minded people
- Learn first-hand about poverty and homelessness as well as the joys, struggles, hopes and dreams of the people you serve
- Add to the contributions of local development work
- Develop new skills and talents in an unconventional setting
Will this experience be right for me?
Volunteer Expeditions places emphasis on the service and learning components of the volunteer program. If you're open to new challenges and enjoy working with and learning from local people, you can contribute to and benefit from a Volunteer Expedition. Flexibility, patience, a spirit of adventure, and a sense of humor also go a long way.
Why do I have to pay to volunteer?
As a private organization that is independent from governmental and religious funding, Volunteer Expedition programs are financed almost entirely by volunteer contributions. Since 2007, we have worked with primarily economically impoverished communities who cannot afford to pay for the services we provide. Our paying volunteers provide important support to the communities we visit.
The service program fee covers your costs for food, lodging, work site transportation, program materials, your trip leader, and administrative costs. In addition, we provide donations to non-profit organizations in the cities we visit.
You benefit as well: if you join as a congregation or not-for-profit group and are a U.S. taxpayer, you receive the benefit of a 501(C)(3) status. This means you can deduct the cost of your service program fee from your taxes.
What is the cost of a Volunteer Expedition?
Depending on the size of your group, where you go and how long you stay, volunteer vacation programs can range from $500 to $2,000. Most programs last up to one week and cost approximately $700.
Who do I contact to join a Volunteer Expedition?
Choosing a volunteer vacation takes time. Often people joining the program do not know each other. It is important to ask questions and learn as much as possible before participating in a service learning trip. If you have question or want to know more, please call Patricia Vile or email your questions to us.
What organizations does Volunteer Expeditions work with?
We work with many agencies providing relief and service delivery to people in need. In New Orleans we work with local schools, AmeriCorps, Beacon Of Hope, Habitat For Humanity, Second Harvest Food Bank and UMCOR, among other agencies. In Jamaica we work with Jamaica Volunteer Vacations. In Mexico we work Southern Exposure Immersions.
What if I need to cancel?
If you need to cancel your service program, you must notify Volunteer Expeditions in writing 30 days prior to departure.
Please note that any airfare or airfare penalties charged by the airlines or travel agent are not included in the service program fee.
