5 Tips on Traveling for a Service Project

Everyone has a different reason for travel, whether you're traveling with friends, a significant other, with family or for work. Traveling means the world to me (sometimes I wish I had a cheaper pastime) and I couldn't imagine life without it. However, during my winter break in my senior year of college, I decided to embark on a different type of trip...a service trip! If traveling for a service project is always something you wanted to do or plan on doing in the future check out these 5 tips listed below.

Find a Service Group

Florida State Alternative Breaks sends students out to serve in diverse communities across the country and around the world during spring and other breaks. Alternative Breakers understand the root causes of social issues and work alongside community members to identify and address issues in their community. The first thing you should do to plan a successful service trip is find the right program. I ended up traveling with Florida State University Alternative Breaks. 

FSU coordinates week long service trips during Spring Breaks, Summer Breaks and Winter Breaks. I opted for the winter break trip, (I loved Spring Break way too much) which happened to be one week before Christmas. The timing was perfect! The good thing about going with a service group is that everything is already organized for you. You won’t have to worry about choosing travel dates, the location or what to do once you arrive. Here are a few travel service groups to get you started, Projects Abroad, Global Volunteers, Rustic Pathways, the Peace Corps or United Nations Volunteers. Another option is to plan your own service trip with your religious group, group of friends, sorority or fraternity. 

Choose a Project Near to Your Heart

Once you’ve found the right service group to experience this type of traveling with, then you can find the service project that speaks to your heart. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina (a category 5) originated in the Bahamas as a tropical storm then emerged into an aggressive hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Those who were affected the most seem to be people who lived in New Orleans and Mississippi, were majority African-Americans and poor. When I first heard about this natural disaster I immediately donated, but sometimes you need to give more than just money. This storm became very personal for me and continued to tug at my heart. My disaster relief trip to New Orleans didn’t happen until 2 years after the initial storm but there was still so much help needed down there. Here are some other service project ideas if you’re in the planning phase: 

General Care: care for children at orphanages, people with special needs or work with the elderly

Educational Projects: teaching English, other languages and improving literacy 

Agriculture, Conservations & Environment: help manage a community vegetable garden, work on a small farm, volunteer in a rain forest or help preserve our ecosystems

Disaster Relief: care for those affected by a natural disaster (hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods or landslides)

Cultural Enrichment: those who have a background in the arts (dance, music, drama or visual arts) and desires to share their talent with another community

Medical Needs: help other countries in need of medical supplies, HIV/AIDS education, malnutrition, mental health or a plethora of other needs

Business Needs: if you have a background in business, marketing or consulting you can use your skills to assist struggling businesses in third world countries

Look at all the damage done from the storm

Select the City or Country You Desire

In addition to choosing a service project near to your heart, make sure to select a city or country that you really want to visit. Of course the service project takes priority but if you’re able to volunteer in a city you’ve being dreaming to visit, I say go for it! During my service trip planning phase a few U.S. cities popped (most were in the mid-west) that I wasn’t interested in. My service trip ended up taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was my first time in the Big Easy and I was ecstatic. Although, the reason for my visit was disheartening, it was nice to spend my down time in a city with so much culture. New Orleans was a city I was dying to visit. So if you have your heart set on a trip to South Africa or India this could be the perfect experience for you. 

Bourbon Street 

Budget for Your Service Trip

I’ll be honest with you; it is very unlikely that you will find a service trip that is free. During my service trip to New Orleans I had to budget for the program fee, room & board, food and activities. My program fee was approximately $300 (this included food) and I brought an extra $200 for spending money and a credit card for any emergencies. Before you plan your service trip make sure you know the exact amount of program fee and any additional fees that need to be covered like transportation, uniforms or materials needed to complete the service project. 

We packed our own lunch to save money

Be Flexible & Open-Minded

Lastly, keep in mind the reason you decided to plan this service trip in the first place. Without a doubt I know that challenges may come up but you can’t get discouraged. Be flexible and open-minded for last minute changes, disorganization or even a shift in your job duty. Always remember the chance to give back is an opportunity to share your skills and knowledge.

The woman sitting at the top is the homeowner. Her survival story brought us all to tears.

Have you ever been on a service trip?