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Listing & Pictures of Service Sites

Fall 2009 Mission Service Experiences
Fall 2009 Habitat for Humanity Sites
Winter 2009 Mission Service Experiences

Spring 2010 Service Site Listing Coming Soon!

Winter 2010 Mission Experiences

San Salvador, El Salvador

Volunteer Work

Volunteers will be working with the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and their Project FIAT (Faith in Action Together) in San Salvador, El Salvador. Project FIAT began many years ago with Handmaids volunteering some summer free time for service projects to reach out to needy communities and has now been able to accept volunteers throughout the year. Volunteers will help build houses and roads with the local communities, aid in the nurturing of malnourished children, help to distribute food to those in need at a soup kitchen, and share their hearts in a home for abandoned children. During Project Fiat International (PFI), volunteers leave the comfort, efficiency, and competitiveness of their culture, t enter to some extent into the experiences, and limiting circumstances with which billions of the world’s people live. PFI accepts volunteers from any religious affiliation who desire to collaborate in making our world more genuinely human.

Volunteers will live in Casa Voluntariado Santa Rafaela Maria volunteer house which is in a safe part of the capital city, San Salvador. The house is surrounded by an iron gate and also has a gate keeper 24 hours a day. The house has running water, plumbing and electricity. There are 4 large rooms that contain 10 bunk beds. The men and women have separate sleeping quarters as well as bathrooms. Volunteers will pack a lunch every morning and fill up water bottles to take on the jobs. No food is eaten or bought off the street. Safety is the number one priority for all volunteers. Vans are rented to take volunteers back and forth to their destinations. No one is allowed to travel alone or use public transportation. The US dollar is the monetary unit of El Salvador.

Volunteers will learn about the cultural and political situation of the country. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to visit the Romero Center, Universidad Centroamericana in San Salvador, Puerta de Diablo and tour the scenic countryside. Volunteers will be able to experience cultural presentation of traditional songs, dances and folklore throughout their time in El Salvador.

Dates: December 29, 2009-January 9, 2010
Approximate Cost: $1,100 which includes airfare, accommodations in the volunteer center, food, transportation within El Salvador, program fees, group guide and weekend excursions.
Website: http://www.acjusa.org/volunteer/index.html

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Volunteer Work

Volunteers will be working with an organization called New Hope for Cambodian Children (NHCC). NHCC is a Cambodian non- governmental organization (NGO) registered with the Royal Government of Cambodia and provides assistance to children with HIV/AIDS living in Cambodia.

NHCC has built a special village for 200 children on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. The Village provides a safe and loving environment for orphans with HIV/AIDS. In the village, 8 children live together with a care giving couple as a family. The children attend the local schools all of which are within walking distance. The Village has special classes in computers, English, and Cambodian culture. Special tutoring is offered to all children as needed. The Village has a nursery School and pre-school for the younger children.

Volunteers will be serving with many of the established ministries run by NHCC. Volunteers will be spending most of the day doing a variety of work: teaching, playing with the children, sports, shopping at the local market, etc. The group will experience the Cambodian culture and history throughout the experience. You may spend a weekend in the Siem Reap province visiting the magnificent ancient temples of Angkor Wat. You will take a river tour of the Mekong River and visit the “killing fields” of the Khmer Rouge. Volunteers will have the opportunity to visit the Cambodian markets and talk with many of the locals. Volunteers will be staying in dormitories at the Village. All meals will be prepared and eaten with the children.

Dates: December 27, 2009-January 8, 2010
Approximate Cost: ~$2,000 which includes airfare, accommodations in a guest house, food, transportation within Cambodia, program fees, group guide and weekend excursions.
Website: http://www.newhopeforcambodianchildren.com

 

Fall 2009 Mission Service Experiences

Bethlehem Farm, West Virginia

Located in central Appalachia, Bethlehem Farm is a Catholic intentional community that strives to transform lives through serving the local community and teaching sustainability. During the week at the Farm, volunteers serve the surrounding community, pray together, learn about and from the people of Appalachia, and experience ways of practicing and living a sustainable life. Volunteers may find themselves doing a variety of work with the local community – from working alongside a family in repairing their home to learning about sustainable living. This is a great domestic mission experience focused on social justice and community.

The cost is about $300 for 15 people
Website: http://www.bethlehemfarm.net/main/

Tohatchi, New Mexico

Native American Reservation This is a cultural immersion experience into the Native American culture. Volunteers will live with host families on the Navajo Indian reservation. During the day, volunteers work on various service projects determined by the needs of the community – mostly home repair. Volunteers will learn about the Navajo culture which includes spirituality, family and history of the Navajo Nation. You will experience the beauty of the nature while exploring the reservation and the spirituality of the Navajo’s by participating in a sweat lodge. This experience provides a nice balance between working on extensive service projects and taking part in cultural immersion and exchange.

The cost is about $600 for 16 people.

Miguel Aleman, Mexico

Faith Ministry Volunteers will be working with the organization Faith Ministry along the Texas/Mexico border to construct a new home for a family in need. Faith Ministry is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the poorest of the poor in the colonias of Reynosa and Miguel Aleman in Mexico with their housing, medical, spiritual, educational, and other immediate needs. Aside from working about six hours per day to completely finish this home, volunteers will also be fully interacting with the surrounding community to learn about their circumstances and the issues that most affect them. Members of the family receiving the home will participate in the construction. Volunteers will be staying in a secure, volunteer dormitory in Miguel Aleman or Reynosa, Mexico.

The cost is about $1000 and is open to 15 people.
Website: www.faithministry.org

Antigua, Guatemala

God’s Child Program Volunteers will be working with the God’s Child Program and the Asociacion Nuestros Ahijados to help thousands of Guatemala’s poor. Part of your trip will be spent working on life-changing projects such as pouring concrete floors in shacks (to reduce illness and infection), constructing houses, distributing clothing and other needed items to the poor, and visiting and assisting malnourished children. Another part of your trip will be spent at The DREAMER Center, an educational and health facility being built by the Asociacion Nuestros Ahijados on the edge of the San Felipe, spending time with the children. You will also have the opportunity to learn about Guatemala with its unique Mayan-Latina culture and breath-taking nature, its history, and its government.

The cost is about $1200 and is open to 15 people.
Website: http://www.gcpnc.org and http://www.godschild.org

Belize City, Belize

Hand in Hand Ministries Volunteers will be working with the organization Hand in Hand Ministries in Belize City which is a faith-based international service organization that provides life’s essentials to the poorest of the poor, giving them dignity today and hope for tomorrow. Volunteers’ main project will be with the “Building for Change” program. This program provides housing for the poorest of the poor in Belize City. Volunteers will have the opportunity to work alongside the new homeowner while making a modest 16x16 foot home from start to finish. Volunteers may also have the opportunity to work in Hand in Hand Ministries Outreach Center which provides medical care and hope for 15 children and 38 families affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS, work with children at a local elementary school that is funded by Hand in Hand and also talk with local adults affected by HIV/AIDS.

The cost is about $1200 and is open to 14 people.
Website: http://www.hhministries.com/

San Salvador, El Salvador

Volunteers will be working with the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and their Project FIAT (Faith in Action Together) in San Salvador, El Salvador. Volunteers will help build houses and roads with the local communities, aid in the nurturing of malnourished children, help to distribute food to those in need, and share their hearts in a home for abandoned children. Volunteers will live in Casa Voluntariado Santa Rafaela Maria volunteer house which is in a safe part of the capital city, San Salvador. Volunteers will learn about the cultural and political situation of the country. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to visit the Romero Center, Universidad Centroamericana in San Salvador, Puerta de Diablo and tour the scenic countryside. Volunteers will be able to experience cultural presentation of traditional songs, dances and folklore throughout their time in El Salvador.

The cost is about $1100 and is open to 15 people.
Website: http://www.acjusa.org/volunteer/index.html

Kingston, Jamaica

Jamaica Volunteers Volunteers will have the opportunity to work with many different service programs offered through the organization Jamaica Volunteers. Volunteers work at several Catholic social service sites that provide services for the destitute, the sick, the disadvantaged and the economically displaced in Kingston. Service projects include a home for the elderly and homeless run by Mother Theresa's Missionaries of Charity, a community center with a school for at-risk children, a health clinic and a home for elderly and victims of Hanson's disease.

The cost is about $900 and is open to 15 people.
Website: http://www.jamaicavolunteers.com/

Puebla, Mexico

Community Links International Community Links is a volunteer and international educational organization. Through cross-border, cross-cultural immersion experiences they provide volunteers the chance to learn about the interconnectedness of our global communities. Volunteers will experience a combination of community service, reflection time, family stays in indigenous communities, visits to local cultural sites and discussions on relevant political issues (ex: NAFTA, indigenous land rights). Work projects include hands-on labor in agricultural projects as well as playing with children’s groups.

The cost is about $1000 and is open to 20 people.
Website: http://www.commlinks.org/

Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

Environmental Service Experience Volunteers will work and stay at the Playa Hermosa Turtle Reserve on the west coast of Costa Rica. The primary focus of this trip is global conservation. The reserve's main purpose is to protect the Olive Ridley sea turtles, which are poached in Costa Rica. Volunteers will be involved in everything from finding nests, digging up eggs, relocating them to a hatchery, and bringing hatched baby sea turtles to the sea. Most of the work is done at night when turtles lay their eggs. The days will be spent learning about protecting the environment, miscellaneous work around the reserve, and cleaning beaches. This is an educational site that employs hands on experiential learning techniques using the coast as the classroom. You will also have the opportunity to work with Costa Rican high-school students from La Gloria Colegio. It will involve one night of home stay with a student. Almost all work is outdoors, experiencing firsthand the environment of Costa Rica, and working to protect it.

The cost is about $950 and is open to 15 people.
Website: http://www.ranchomastatal.com

Chulucanas, Peru

Augustinian Volunteers and Mission: Volunteers will work at an Augustinian Mission in a small village of northern Peru. Volunteers will have the opportunity to meet the local people in their homes while working on projects necessary for the community (building, tutoring, and experiencing the Peruvian culture.) Your hosts, the Augustinian Volunteers, will guide you through various service projects, cultural experiences, and conversations with local Peruvians. Students may also spend a day touring Lima, Peru.

The cost is about $1200 and is open to 20 people.

Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic: Orphanage Outreach

Volunteers will be working with the organization Orphanage Outreach whose mission is to provide opportunities for the orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children of the northwest coast of the Dominican Republic. Much of your focus will be on teaching/tutoring the children and teaching English. In the morning, volunteers teach English at a local school in Monte Cristi. In the afternoons, volunteers teach at the English Instire coordinated by Orphanage Outreach. You will live on-site at the orphanage in a safe and simple environment. In addition to the service, you will also have an opportunity to explore a part of the island for additional cultural experiences by visiting a farmer’s marker, some historical locations and a national park beach.

The cost is about $1000 and is open to 15 people
Website: http://www.orphanage-outreach.org/

Duran, Ecuador: Rostro de Cristo

Rostro de Cristo is a Catholic program whose mission is to provide spiritual and educational opportunities for young people from the United States to live out the Gospel together with the people of Ecuador. The program invites participants to lead a very simple lifestyle, build an intentional Christian community, be in relationship with the Ecuadorian people and reflect on the face of Christ in their joys and struggles and work with the Ecuadorian people. Volunteers explore long term solutions to the problems of poverty and together seek opportunities to improve the lives of the people. Group members will dedicate several hours of each day doing home visits, playing with and teaching young children at various after-school programs, visiting clinics, and experiencing what it means to live as an Ecuadorian.

*** This experience is recommended for those that have already participated in at least one Villanova sponsored service break experience.

The cost is about $1050 and is open to 14 people
Website: http://www.rostrodecristo.org

 

Fall 2009 Habitat for Humanity Sites

The leading cause of homelessness and a major reason for hunger is the high cost of the U.S. housing. The average hourly wage needed to rent a two-bedroom dwelling in the U.S. is $12.47 per hour while the federal minimum wage is only $6.65. Housing is considered affordable if it consumes less than 30% of a family’s income.

If you choose to participate in Habitat for Humanity site you will be helping to build low-income, affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity is an international organization that builds homes or rehabilitates homes for the working poor. HFH relies on volunteer labor and donations to sustain its services. Each family who applies for a house must commit to hundreds of hours of labor and will receive a home with a no-interest mortgage that is adjusted to the family’s income. You will be building for 4 ½ - 5 days and building skills are not necessary. Hopefully you will get to know the family for whom you are building, but this is not guaranteed. When you are not building, the week is focused on spending time with your group as well as reflecting on the culture, work and experiences you encounter. Reflection times provide an opportunity to discuss the moments that raise questions, touch your heart, and challenge or confirm your beliefs about the world, the poor and yourself. The cost of the trip includes airfare (if applicable), van rental, room and board, donation to the Habitat affiliate, transportation to and from the airport and a T-shirt. The total will depend on the location of the affiliate. Cost ranges from $300-800 depending on airfare and affiliate donation.

There will be 8 sites this fall:

  1. Sea Island, South Carolina: www.seaislandhabitat.org
  2. Charleston, South Carolina: www.charlestonhabitat.org
  3. Lexington, Kentucky: www.lexhabitat.org
  4. Franklin, West Virginia: www.almostheavenhabitat.org
  5. Taos, New Mexico: www.taoshabitat.org/
  6. Fort Smith, Arkansas: www.avhfh.org
  7. Eagle Butte, South Dakota: http://www.othabitat.org/
  8. Tutwiler, Mississippi: www.wthabitat.org