Too often, we narrowly think of vacations and work-related travel as the only opportunities we have to experience different cities, cultures, or locations.  I want to talk to you today about a third option that can also involve travel – to both local and far-off destinations.

Volunteering.

Relief and faith-based organizations (at both the local and national level) offer many volunteer opportunities that involve travel.  As an added bonus, you can also do some good for your fellow man.  For example, many organizations are currently organizing and engaging in hurricane relief efforts to help hard-hit coastal areas of the US following Hurricane Matthew.  Let’s be realistic.  These may not be relaxing trips that consist of long days lounging by a pool and catching up on afternoon naps, but the hard work (and trust me, clean-up operations are hard work) that volunteers perform on these types of trips is vital for the restoration of communities and families in areas that experience devastating loss.   Remember, these areas still need help for months (and often years) after the news trucks pull away and we no longer hear about them on a daily basis.

Cities and towns are not hit by just natural disasters.  Help can also be given to locations that have seen severe economic downturns as well.  Unbelievable as it sounds, there are areas right here in the U.S. (and closer than you think) where towns and cities struggle to survive.  Crumbling inner city neighborhoods and the deep mountains (as in the Appalachian regions of West Virginia and Kentucky) are just a few examples of geographic areas that are riddled with poverty, crumbling homes, and failing infrastructure.

I just completed my own weekend volunteer opportunity (tagging along with members of the Valley Grace Brethren Church from Hagerstown, MD) as they went on a work project at the Urban Hope Training Center and Community Church in northeast Philadelphia.  Urban Hope works to establish strong community relationships, training opportunities, and act as a beacon of hope for the entire neighborhood.  What started out as a single church building has grown into ownership of several buildings in the same block that allow them expand their outreach programs and provide staff housing, youth programs, community events, and work-training programs.  Some of these buildings require a tremendous amount of work to become (or continue to be) habitable.  Volunteers (like the work crews from Valley Grace) provide the manpower and labor to assist in turning these once rundown or neglected buildings into a functional part of the Urban Hope campus.

Not only did I learn some basic carpentry skills in my weekend stint, I got to talk to the leaders and staff of Urban Hope and hear their stories, ideas, and vision for the community.  It was uplifting and inspiring.  As an added bonus, I got to see parts of Philadelphia that won’t show up on any tour map.  Most of the row homes I saw in the surrounding streets had iron bars welded over their windows and porches – something I just don’t have to deal with in my normal, day-to-day life.  It was quite the reality check.  To my surprise, the locals I encountered in the community were all pleasant, curious, and appreciative of the work we were doing.  They truly want to build a better neighborhood and future for both them and their children – and were grateful for the assistance in getting there.  That’s part of the beauty of travel – to broaden one’s horizons and experience life from a different perspective.

While I was hesitant to go on the trip before the weekend began, I left Philadelphia with a better appreciation of what a small group of committed and caring individuals (like those that run Urban Hope) can do for their city, and will definitely be eager to go back and help out again.

So, if you want to get a different type of travel experience, check out the various volunteer opportunities in your area.  They’re not hard to find.  It’s a way to see different places and foster a better understanding of life outside your own comfort zone.

To learn more about Urban Hope and the work they are doing in Philadelphia, visit their website at www.urbanhope.net.