Short-term volunteer

Common Hope’s short-term volunteer program is for people interested in traveling to Guatemala independently to offer their time and talents to serve others. The typical short-term volunteer experience combines elements of service and education. We encourage short-term volunteers to become ambassadors for Common Hope upon returning home — this work to spread the word about the needs of Guatemala is invaluable.

Common Hope short-term volunteers …

  • make a commitment anywhere from 2-6 weeks
  • travel independently and make their own arrangements for transportation and accommodations
  • participate in volunteer openings depending on Common Hope’s needs during their dates of travel
  • work in a variety of areas (construction, education, health care, technology support, family development) depending on their dates of travel, interests, work experience, and level of Spanish
  • often spend half of their day volunteering and half of their day in one of Antigua’s Spanish language schools; they also often live with a local family
  • become multipliers of Common Hope’s work by sharing their experience with friends and family upon returning home

Typical experience includes …

  • work during regular business hours: Monday – Friday, 8am – 5pm
  • a tour of Common Hope facilities and a neighboring village
  • home visits with affiliated families along with one of our social workers
  • discussions with staff members about our work
  • volunteer work that attempts to match Common Hope’s needs with volunteer’s interests and skills

Requirements:

  • Flexibility, open-mindedness
  • Willingness to do whatever
  • Attitude of learning
  • Age of 18+ if traveling independently, 14 if accompanied by a parent
  • Spanish-speaking ability if interested in volunteering in the clinic, school, or day care

Cost:

  • No volunteer fee
  • Other expenses dependent on individual travel and living arrangements

To apply:

  1. Read through short-term volunteer handbook.
  2. Complete application and send resumé. (Please have specific travel dates in mind.)
  3. Submit application online a minimum of six weeks prior to travel to ensure availability.
  4. Expect an email response from one of our volunteer coordinators within two weeks of submitting your application.

Recommended reading:

Recommended language schools: