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Volunteer Vacations
Trips That Feed the Soul
By Teri Brown
One of the main concerns families have with volunteer vacations is safety, and i-to-i takes every precaution to assure the safety of their volunteers, including have emergency extraction plans in place.
Their development team and in-country coordinators inspect each project and its accommodations to ensure safety before they receive i-to-i volunteers. The in-country coordinators have been trained in crisis management procedures. "When the SARS outbreak occurred, we informed our volunteers of the risks and gave them the choice of staying or leaving," says Snyder. "Safety is a No. 1 concern."
Safety is just one aspect of volunteering that families should consider. Snyder gives the following tips for families looking for volunteer opportunities:
- How many years has the organization been in business? How well established are they?
- Does the organization provide in-country support that includes an orientation session and airport pick-up?
- Does the organization provide pre-departure briefing?
- Is travel/health insurance provided as part of the placement fee? What does it include (emergency airlift, etc.)?
- What kind of emergency support system does the organization have should something happen while in-country?
- What kind of living situation will the family be in?
- How many hours will they be expected to work?
- Will they be free to spend some time exploring?
- Will there be other volunteers?
- Does the volunteer organization provide guidance on how to get the appropriate visas and inoculations for a specific country?
Cost is another aspect of volunteer vacations that should be considered. Expect to pay from $800 to $2000 for most volunteer opportunities, though you can find lower-cost opportunities here in the Untied States. Many organizations do not include travel expenses in their price.