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Family Volunteering

  • Super-affordable price and value
  • Popular professional programs since 2006
  • Flexible schedules with free time to explore
  • Provide much-needed assistance

What makes a family trip more unforgettable than a vacation? By working as an international volunteer with Helping Abroad. Make your family bonds stronger, by not only visiting new places, but by also getting involved in humanitarian activities together, at a new place and among new people with cultures different to yours. During your 1-12 week/s project, you will live and work, hands-on, as a family in charitable service.

You will get a great opportunity to immerse your family in a different culture and language, that will change how your children perceive their own lives. Staying together during this volunteering abroad trip will reinforce comforting feelings of being secure with your family, whilst volunteering. This will enrich and strengthen the bond between the family members, help improve language skills, make new friends from a different part of the world, and above all, create beautiful memories to cherish for a lifetime. Most importantly, you will thank your decision of familiarizing your children with the joy of philanthropy, original cultures and traditions, that they could never have comprehended at home or at any other ordinary vacation.

So extend your family's worldview and take some time off from everything for some family time with Helping Abroad. Are you ready to embrace the many benefits of initiating and sharing a passion for altruism?

Contact Helping Abroad to customize your family travel and dates.

Why families volunteer

Family volunteering is gaining popularity. As a unique alternative to normal family travel vacations, family philanthropic vacations let everyone work as a team to improve others' lives, as your children discover new worlds from the residents' point of view. This one-of-a-kind experience offers many other life-changing advantages. You will also:

Fortify your family's bond

When your family volunteers together, each member discovers new sides of everyone else. Even the youngest child deserves appreciation. Depending on each other's strengths will strengthen the family's unity.

Help your children learn values

Each service effort is a good model for your children. Their involvement empowers them to reap the benefits of following your lead. Get them excited by asking for help choosing your family project and planning your journey.

Encourage learning for your children

Every excursion is educational for kids. They'll learn to respect charitable service and exercise language skills while discovering cultural differences and unique traditions of unique people. They may return home eager to continue studying what they experienced firsthand. Charity work will teach them flexibility, endurance and acceptance of new customs and principles.

Keep reliving favorite memories

When you return home, reminisce about the humorous ways you encountered cultural differences. Recall nature's stunning wonders. How lucky is a family to cherish special memories that are only theirs to cherish.

Your family's involvement matters

Helping Abroad Volunteers prevents our projects from straining or depleting their limited resources. Simple things like your youngest child offering a smile or song will bring more joy to needy communities than you'd expect.

Spend your time and money with care

Since you've put so much into your family, you prefer vacations that preserve and augment your resources. Helping Abroads' affordable family volunteer getaways couple adventurous foreign travel with true altruistic work that's sure to draw everyone closer. Like many other families, you might extend your trip to nearby locations as sightseers or participants in other projects. Even during a short volunteer stint, you'll have free time for side trips, returning to your gracious host family.

Immerse your children in another culture

Imagine the many possible life-changing adventures. Your children may discover their innate leadership skills. Or bathe an elephant. Maybe dance the hokey pokey in a foreign language. Volunteering abroad as a family often makes kids consider who they are and where they fit in on the globe. Discovering one's calling makes the world a better place for all.

Preferred projects/destinations for your family volunteer journey

Helping Abroad screens 20 destinations and dozens of projects carefully for your safety. The most popular family projects are orphanages in many countries that bring children together. You'll marvel at how your children laugh and interact with other kids, eclipsing language barriers and geographical borders. Use this transcendent experience to reinforce the inherent worth of every human life and to share your family's values with them. We recommend orphanage placement predominantly for volunteer families with younger children.

Serve orphans—Multiple countries

Demonstrate family support to children overseas

Imparting your family's care and compassion with parentless children is an unforgettable experience. Abused or abandoned orphans and ones born of parents who are drug addicts find joy in connecting with Western-raised children. English lessons are entertaining. Swapping songs and games increases everyone's amusement. Your family's presence can persuade a shy child to play, spark a youthful imagination and inspire an interest in learning. Children are waiting to meet you across the world. Where would you like to visit? Select from Helping Abroad orphanage programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania.

More volunteering family favorites

Sri Lanka—Elephant sanctuary

Show your love and caring for huge but mild elephants

Treat the animal lovers in your family to this unique opportunity. Two beautiful jungle sanctuaries rehabilitate and care for rescued and injured elephants. As you become part of their lives, mahouts (expert elephant handlers) guide work from bathing and play time to mucking out their areas and community outreach projects that benefit this program. The outdoor work is hard. But these old yet bright animals will touch your heart in a way you and your children will never forget.

Nepal—Buddhist Monastery

Teaching young monks

In the tranquility of a Buddhist monastery, your family will escape hectic everyday life. Embrace this rare opportunity to observe the monastic lifestyle and learn about Buddhism. You'll teach English and assist in creative extracurricular activities. Children, well respected for following the path to enlightenment, enjoy drawing and playing games. Imagine what your kids can learn and share with them! Spend your free time joining the monks for meditation, rituals and singing. Or leave the monastery to explore Nepal. Note: Since monks lead a disciplined life, this placement doesn't fit all families.

Please contact us for assistance. Our experts will help you select the best project for your children's ages that will achieve your family's goals.

Reside, volunteer and flourish as a family

We assure you that your family will experience every phase of your Helping Abroad volunteer vacation together. You'll sleep, eat and work on the same volunteer project as a group. Based on ages and physical abilities, some family members may participate in various ways. This will be a learning experience for your children as everyone serves the needy as a unit. They'll make discoveries about themselves, your family and how they can give to the world.

Note: Children under the age of four cannot participate actively. We'll help you arrange for a separate affordably priced babysitter.

Sample workday schedule

Each workday is a fulfilling blend of volunteering, cultural immersion, thought-provoking discussions, fun and free time overflowing with love. While each project differs by location and season, the schedule below gives you an idea of a standard program day.

7:30–8:30 AM, Wake up. Get up early to begin your volunteering day. When everyone's showered and dressed, your family will enjoy a breakfast of local favorites and well-known dishes. The workday commences when everyone's full and energized!

8:30-9 AM, Travel to project. You can reach most volunteer assignments in about 15-30 minutes. Volunteers enjoy this short trip that's full of anticipation to share their enthusiasm and compassion.

>9 AM-12 PM, Make a contribution. If you're at an orphanage, you might teach English or help in the kitchen or garden. Perhaps you'll play games and organize extracurricular activities for the children. Your kids' jobs will keep them close to you, maybe leading games or helping you teach. If you discover something else to do, help out.

Tea Break. During the morning, take a breather with a cup of tea or coffee. Have a family discussion about the morning's victories and challenges. If you need help or clarification, speak with your local project staff or team players to sort things out before resuming work.

12-1 PM, Lunch. If your home base is close by, your family will return there for a delicious lunch. When the drive is too far, you'll enjoy the box lunches you brought in the morning. Orphanage volunteers usually enjoy spending more time with the children during lunch.

1-2 PM, Wrap up volunteer project. If you can't accomplish enough in just one hour, you may hang around longer. Each project can always use more help! But most families are glad to end the workday early enough to enjoy free time in daylight.

After 2 PM, Leisure time. Spend your off hours anyway you like! Your family can explore the local area, converse with other volunteers, study, rest or plan for the next day. Before you go sightseeing, ask our in-country coordinator and local staff to recommend fun sites to see and exciting things to do. Heed their advice and be careful tourists.

7–8 PM, Dinner and family discussion. Discuss the day's activities and insights while relaxing over a home-cooked meal. If you're sharing your host's table, you may feel like you're all enjoying a big family reunion! Between dinner and bedtime, you may continue discovering nearby sites or contemplate the next busy but rewarding day.

Fees and dates

Because family groups are the heart of Helping Abroad volunteer abroad programs, we discount our rates to reward you for choosing us. Working for our 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization means your trip also may be tax deductible! Your total price depends on your destination choice. Find program details with what it does and doesn't cover at http://www.helpingabroad.org/program-fee-date.php

Dates

Helping Abroad offers volunteer programs year round, so pick the dates that are most convenient for your family.

Contact us

Begin the planning process by emailing info@helpingabroad.org