  
Short-Term Volunteering
Short-term volunteers travel to Guatemala independently to share their expertise and their lives with those served by Common Hope. The enthusiasm and fresh perspective of short-term volunteers provide invaluable support as they work alongside our staff in Guatemala.
The Basics
We are excited at the number of people interested in volunteering and seek to involve more people in this way. Becoming a short-term volunteer depends on many factors, including our needs and space limitations, the individual’s Spanish proficiency, motivations for volunteering, work skills and interests, projected dates of service, and length of commitment. In general, volunteers are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, unless two applications are in process simultaneously. In these cases, the most qualified person is chosen. Short-term volunteers must be at least 18 years old, unless accompanied by a parent.
Common Hope can host a limited number of short-term volunteers at any given time. Their length of service varies, but most volunteers stay between two and six weeks. Short-term volunteers work in a variety of areas, including education, construction, health care, technology support, and family development. Specific assignments will be made according to the skills and interests of the volunteer, as well as his or her Spanish language ability. Knowledge of Spanish is not necessary for many placements, but for some, such as those in health care, school, or day care it is critical.
What to Expect
The volunteer experience will be different for each person. It is important that volunteers guard their expectations. It is best to arrive with an open mind and flexibility. A willingness to do whatever is necessary and an attitude of learning rather than of imparting superior knowledge, are the foundations of a positive experience. All of a volunteer’s work will be genuinely helpful, even if some tasks are simple or physical. Culturally,  Guatemala represents a different world, and although things may be done differently, there is generally a good reason.
It should be understood that a volunteer’s work experience may be limited if he or she does not speak Spanish or have a deep understanding of the culture. We strive to facilitate experiences that will give short-term volunteers direct contact with the poor. We also work to provide a broad picture of how our programs address poverty from a multi-dimensional approach. Some of these experiences, such as visiting a family with a Common Hope social worker or joining a discussion led by a staff member, are oriented more toward raising awareness than work. These experiences serve to provide a deeper understanding of life in Guatemala. By combining the elements of service and education, past short-term volunteers have had rich experiences and have valued their time spent in Guatemala.
The Details
 As independent travelers, short-term volunteers arrange and pay for their travel expenses to and from Guatemala, as well as their living expenses during their stay. There is no fee to volunteer with Common Hope, so cost is dependant on the travel and living arrangements of each volunteer. Most volunteers stay in Antigua, a beautiful and comfortable Guatemalan town, built with cobblestone streets and Spanish architecture. Volunteers should familiarize themselves with Guatemala through resources like the consular information sheet so they are comfortable with making the trip and living independently during their time in Guatemala.
There is a wide range of hotel options available and many restaurants from which to choose. A good guide book is a valuable resource to help you arrange your accommodations. For those seeking to strengthen their Spanish skills, arrangements can be made to live with  a Guatemalan host family through any of a number of local language schools (language schools will only set up home stays for those enrolled in their classes). Many volunteers combine part-time Spanish language school with their volunteer service.
Work hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It is worth noting that outside of work hours, short-term volunteers are free to plan their activities independently. The ability to interact with the long-term volunteers and staff during this free time may be limited due to the logistics of living arrangements and the strenuous nature of development work.
The Application Process
If you are interested in applying to become a short term volunteer with Common Hope, please respond to the following questions. Your answers will allow us to determine if volunteering works logistically and is a good fit for your interests. Your application will be reviewed by one of our Hospitality Coordinators in Guatemala, who will then contact you by e-mail.
Before beginning, please consider your answer to question 4. If you would rate yourself 4 or 5, please submit your answers in Spanish.
- What motivates you to want to become a volunteer?
- When would you be ready to come? How long would you like to volunteer? Where do you plan to stay?
- Will you attend language school while volunteering?
- What is your Spanish proficiency? Please rate your ability on a scale of 0 to 5, 0 being no spanish, 5 being fluent. If you would rate your skills as 4 or 5, our expectation is that you would be able to answer these questions without consulting a Spanish dictionary or guide books.
- How did you learn it, and how long did you study?
- What specific skills or interests do you bring to Common Hope?
- What would an ideal volunteer experience be like for you?
- Have you ever lived abroad for more than a month? What was the situation?
- What is your level of education?
- What is your age?
- Is there anything about your personal situation or physical condition that we should be aware of?
- Please provide your name, street address and phone numbers.
- Where did you initially learn about Common Hope?
Click here to send your answers by email
If you were unable to submit these questions through the link above, please use the Word document link and send your answers to mariaj@guate.commonhope.org and louisel@mn.commonhope.org.
Click here to download the questions in a Word document
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Common Hope.
Places to Stay
Language Schools
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