Its summertime and with that means travel and family trips. Our past few summers have been filled with the kids sports activities and very small windows for travel. I’m not letting that slow me down but rather am already beginning to plan for next year.
Our oldest will be graduating high school and it seems like the perfect time for a family trip that involves voluntourism or volunteering and travel. Since I have begun my research I thought I would share it with you. My first stop was a web-site chock full of information called Voluntourism.Org where you can learn about hundreds of opportunities and how to plan your trip.
Voluntourism.Org had great recommendations for the pre-planning stages such as:
1. Do your homework
2. Ask yourself and your family what do you really want to achieve from this experience? Help others? Bond with your family? Get into a great college?
3. Choose a reputable organization to partner with
4. Involve your family in all the pre-planning process.
5. Document the experience with video, photos and journals.
There are thousands of online sources promising you and your family amazing experiences but finding reputable ones can be overwhelming. Here are a few volunteer programs that had some great endorsements:
3. Rebuilding Together U.S. based program that builds homes across the country
So whether you go now or next year, travel near or far….know that your time is your greatest gift. Think about sharing that precious resource with your family in helping another. Those are the moments that make an impact on all involved. I’m hoping I can make this happen and that perhaps you can too.
Charity Matters.
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