PUERTO RICO
WHY WE GO
Puerto Rico has been battered by both hurricanes and earthquakes in recent years. The need is massive all over the island as we continue to clean up, rebuild, and support the local community. Opportunities to help here are endless from remote mountainous interior villages to coastal towns and villages. You will find locals extremely appreciative of the support your group brings to their island!
WHAT WE DO
Restoration work in Puerto Rico is a monumental task. Look beyond San Juan, power and water supplies are still intermittent at best due to Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Relief efforts have been further hampered by recent earthquakes, destroying or damaging infrastructure all over again.
Traveling within the mountainous interior of Puerto Rico is complicated at best, and can sometime take hours to reach. Construction and home improvement stores within the interior are non-existent, and supplies must be purchased in more populated coastal regions. Supplies or construction materials run out or are sometimes unattainable for months as most products arrive via ship. Projects that would normally take weeks or months in the mainland USA are measured in years here.
In addition to construction work, we also work with local charities, churches, and schools to identify needs within the community such as food distribution or setting up sports camps for children. Basketball and baseball is huge here! You'll find fields and courts tucked into hillsides, and kids of all ages welcoming any chance to sharpen their skills and play a game with you. Puerto Rico is beautiful, and you will find citizens here resilient, helpful, friendly, and welcoming wherever your travels take you.
WHAT WE DO FOR FOOD AND FUN
With the exception of departure and arrival hours, three meals will be provided each day by a local Puerto Rican cook. Traditional local cuisine is prepared daily with a few American styles dishes too. Traditional meals include yellow rice, pigeon peas, chicken, roast pork, plantains and locally grown fruit. The national dish of Puerto Rico is ropa vieja, shredded flank steak in a tomato sauce base with black beans, yellow rice, plantains and fried yuca. Puerto Ricans are especially proud of their locally grown coffee, and this is served throughout the day. Purified drinking water is provided at all times at all locations we serve at. Typically a full day and one afternoon and evening is reserved for fun and exploration. Exploring Old San Juan is a must and so are Puerto Rico's beautiful world class beaches!
LOGISTICS & COSTS
Depending on the size of your group, one or more locally based bilingual staff representatives will be with your group, 24 hours a day, for the entire duration of your trip. Pricing includes all meals, ground transportation within Puerto Rico, purified drinking water, group t-shirt, materials, and relief supplies necessary for your trip.
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Safety is our top priority. We only serve and visit areas identified as being safe and secure. Generally speaking there will be a language barrier, but only at times. English is spoken throughout Puerto Rico, but is mostly confined to San Juan and coastal tourist areas; less so in rural areas.
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Puerto Rico serving trips include the option of floor sleeping at a local school, community center or church at NO CHARGE. Not included in the trip price is airfare. Approximately $150 per participant is dedicated towards relief supplies, and is included in your trip cost.
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Serving trips are 7 days and 6 nights.
Trip availability: Year Round. (5 person minimum group size)
Registration fee: $595 (per group) *
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Trip cost: **
Option 1: $845 (floor sleeping)
Option 2: $895 (bunk bed accommodations at a camp or retreat center)
Option 3: $1145 (hotel accommodations)
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Arrival Airport: SJU Sample Itinerary Register Now
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*The registration fee is non-refundable, but in the event of a cancellation can be applied to another trip within one year of the original departure date.
** Individual trip costs are 100% refundable up to 60 days before departure less a $50 cancellation charge.
Individual trips cancelled within 60 days of departure receive no refund.