Housing

Habitat for Humanity (Fort Smith, Arkansas; Laredo, Texas; George County, Mississippi) - Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry.  HFH seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.  Volunteers will serve as construction volunteers with projects ranging from framing to painting to roofing.

Children

Peaceable Kingdom Retreat (Killeen, Texas) – Volunteers will partner with Peaceable Kingdom Retreat (www.peaceablekingdomretreat.com), a place where children with special needs and chronic illnesses can celebrate the health-giving benefits of nature.  Volunteers will participate in on-site projects to enhance retreat programs and beautify the grounds.

Natchez Children’s Home (Natchez, Mississippi) – Volunteers will work with the Natchez Children’s Home (www.natchezchildrenshome.org), a Christian-based organization dedicated to providing a nurturing home for children at risk of abuse and neglect and empowering families to establish and maintain a safe, nurturing environment.  Volunteers will work on physical improvement projects for the home, assist in the thrift shop and interact with the children and families the home serves.

Orphanage Outreach (Monte Christi, Dominican Republic)- Volunteers will partner with Orphanage Outreach (www.orphanage-outreach.org).  The mission of Orphanage Outreach is to provide opportunities to orphaned, abandoned, and disadvantaged children.  Volunteers will tutor children at the orphanage, working with them in reading, math, art, science, as well as various work projects around the orphanage.

VIJON (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica) – Volunteers will partner with VIJON (Volunteer In Jamaica Opportunity Network - www.italjamaica.com/volunteer_in_jamaica.htm).  Aside from being the patois pronunciation of the word vision, (vidge-uhn), VIJON is the result of a vision of helping build and unite the community of Treasure Beach through volunteer tourism.  VIJON is an organization, which brings together groups in need of assistance with volunteers who wish to serve them, whilst promoting small-scale tourism.  Volunteers will have the opportunity to work with children at a local primary school and/or participate in community organic farming.

Poverty

A Wider Circle (Washington, DC) – Volunteers will serve with A Wider Circle (www.awidercircle.org), an organization dedicated to helping individuals and families lift themselves out of poverty.  Volunteers will work on a variety of projects, including mentoring children of low-income families, helping families select and move furniture for new homes and assisting with preparing and serving meals to families in need.  

Central Community Ministries (Greenville, South Carolina) – Volunteers will partners with Central Community Ministries (www.ccmsc.org), an organization committed to assisting individuals in need in the Greenville area through volunteer projects.  CCM works with a variety of agencies and volunteers will assist with activities such as painting, tutoring at afterschool programs, serving meals at soup kitchens, home reconstruction and community events.

Tandana (Quito, Ecuador) - Volunteers will serve with The Tandana Foundation (www.tandanafoundation.org), a nonprofit organization that offers cross-cultural volunteer opportunities, scholarships and funding for small community projects in highland Ecuador.  Volunteers will help villagers replace inadequate drinking water pipes or paint their community center, harvest corn and use its flour to bake bread, play games with schoolchildren and teach English to villagers.

Environment

Grand Canyon Trust (Flagstaff, Arizona) – Volunteers will partner with the Grand Canyon Trust (www.grandcanyontrust.org), a regional conservation organization that advocates collaborative, common sense solutions to the significant problems affecting the region’s natural resources.  Service projects will help protect and restore the Colorado Plateau through ground restoration projects, trail building, and general maintenance.  **Volunteers will be CAMPING for this trip. **

Elkhorn Slough & Big Sur Land Trust (Monterey, California)- Volunteers will serve with two partnering organizations – the Big Sur Land Trust (www.bigsurlandtrust.org) and Elkhorn Slough (www.elkhornslough.org) to remove invasive plants, restore native plants, repair hillside erosion and trails and assist with nature research. 

Everglades National Park (Homestead, Florida) – Volunteers will partner with the Everglades National Park (www.nps.gov/ever), the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.  Service projects may include trail work, cutting back vegetation, trail maintenance, invasive plant species removal, facility repair (painting, building picnic tables) and large-scale cleanups.

Animal Rescue

Best Friends Animal Society (Kanab, Utah) – Volunteers will partner with Best Friends Animal Society (www.bestfriends.org) a unique animal rescue organization dedicated to providing care and homes to a variety of animals.  Volunteers will serve at their sanctuary in Utah and have the opportunity to work with cats, dogs, pigs, horses, bunnies, birds, and other animals.  Projects may include cleaning, facilities improvement and animal socialization.