A volunteer trip with Habitat for Humanity

“I love the idea of real hands on kind of helping and I really like that I can see directly what I am doing to help instead of just writing a check and hoping it ends up in the right place.  I know exactly who I am helping and why and I can also see exactly what I did to help.”

Catie McGonagle, St. Columba’s College volunteer to Hungary

Anyone who can hold a hammer or a paint brush is welcome to the work of Habitat for Humanity. Volunteers provide man power that allows the building of homes or the making of renovations at considerably lower costs.

More importantly, volunteering experience transforms lives: both for the volunteers who work alongside Habitat homeowners and for partner families who see people who care enough to help them break the cycle of poverty.

Build teams come from within a country or from overseas, known as Global Village teams. Business corporations, schools and colleges, churches, civic groups and other organizations organize and send teams. Some teams are open to anyone who wishes to join.

Volunteer trips with Habitat usually last from one to two weeks. During this time volunteers work on a construction site building homes together with team members and homeowner families. The choice of locations is great, from Central Asia’s mountains, to the coast of Mexico, the game reserves of Kenya, or charming villages in Hungary and Romania.

How to apply
There are two ways to apply: either join one of our featured builds or open teams or create a group of your own with a tailor-made itinerary. Please visit our how to apply page for detailed guidelines. No construction skills are necessary! There will be a skilled supervisor on site to teach you everything you need to know.

Long-term volunteering
If you are interested in volunteering with the Habitat program for a longer period of time, check out our International Volunteer Program.

More info
For more information, visit our costs and facts page or our resources page. To contact your Global Village coordinators, please visit our contact information page.

Featured Builds
Peace Build – Armenia (June 30 – July 8, 2012)
Team members wanted with enthusiasm, willingness to work, a sense of humour and open mind! This Global Village build in Armenia will immerse you in a different culture and ask you to open your hearts and minds to share, learn and experience from an international team and the Armenian culture. See the difference you can make with your actions in the world, and join us to make homeownership a reality.

Family Build – Armenia (July 28 – August 5, 2012)
Take your beloved ones on a meaningful mission to bond and explore. Together you will get to feel a sense of global community, spiritual enrichment and accomplishment while sharing work and joy with other families from all around the world.

Women Build – Kyrgyzstan (August 11 – 19, 2012)
Join an international women build team and together reach out to women in housing need in Bishkek, emerge in a different culture and develop new relationships. You will become a part of their home while they become a part of your heart.