Have you taken a volunteer vacation?

For many, March's spring break conjures images of fun in the sun. But what about work in the sun? For more and more college students, spring break means going to New Orleans to rebuild homes, or to Central America to work at a school. But it's not just college students, and not just for one week in March: Whole families, retired couples, and single thirty-somethings are using their vacation time to volunteer.

Have you taken a 'volunteer vacation' yourself? Where did you go, and what did you do? How did you like it? What advice do you have for others considering such a trip? Use the form below and tell us your experience. Read what others are saying.

If you're thinking about taking a volunteer vacation yourself, we've compiled information, Web resources, and a list of Monitor stories below.

YOUR VIEWS

" Be prepared to work but know that you won't be overworked. There will be time to play, share one another's culture, and relax."

Jeff Mattison, Long Beach, Calif., USA

"One rewarding aspect of vacationing is to experience other cultures or places, but I can't think of anything more rewarding than helping a community rebuild. It is truly inspiring ..."

Sarah Cousins, Riverside, Calif., USA

(Updated 03/18/07)

"If you just want a vacation, this isn't the right thing for you. If you want to experience a city, a country, and a culture, while working for improvements and social change within that setting, this might be just right."

Sara Schmidt, Ann Arbor, Mich., USA

"I don't consider volunteering a vacation but just as a way to live my life to the fullest. "

Karen McNeely, Columbia, Missouri, USA

[ Share your thoughts | Read what others are saying ]

Volunteers help construct a community center in Costa Rica.

COURTESY OF GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS

March 9, 2007

How you can take a break and help others

Travelers who want to infuse their trips with service to others may be outnumbered by sun-seekers lounging on the beach, but the trend of volunteer vacations is spreading fast. [ Read more ]

Costs and helpful hints for planning a 'volunteer vacation'

Readers respond on 'volunteer vacations'

From the desk of ... Stacy Teicher: Why more people are taking volunteer vacations

A Spiritual Perspective: On the road to restoration

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

Volunteers participate in a Global Volunteer expedition in Ghana. COURTESY OF GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS	www.globalvolunteers.org/ Global Volunteers offers trips in the United States and around the world. The website includes extensive information as well as stories from recent volunteer vacationers. Telephone: (800) 487-1074
A volunteer with the organization i-to-i interacts with a giraffe during an animal conservation expedition to Africa. COURTESY OF I-TO-I	www.i-to-i.com i-to-i offers short- and long-term volunteer trips in 30 countries, as well as help setting up internships and jobs abroad. The website also features various travelers' blogs and forums. Telephone: 800-985-4864

Xavier University students at the Colorado-Harvest Farm Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center. COURTESY OF BREAK AWAY	www.alternativebreaks.org Break Away matches student groups with nonprofit organizations in the US and abroad and trains students to organize alternative, service-oriented trips. Telephone: 800-903-0646.
An American volunteer works with Muslim children in Thailand as part of a volunteer vacation with United Planet. COURTESY OF UNITED PLANET	www.unitedplanet.org United Planet is a nonprofit that coordinates volunteer opportunities in 50 countries, with trips ranging from 1 to 52 weeks. Its goal, in part, is to "foster cross-cultural understanding and friendship" and "support communities in need." Telephone: 800-292-2316