overseas volunteers are given pre-departure
training and an in-country supervisor.
North American
Organisations
passionist Volunteers International
526 monastery place,
union City, nj 07087, usa
%+1 (708) 256-3103
fax +1(201) 867-7596
[email protected]
http://www.pvi.org
this roman Catholic charity recruits us and
Canadian volunteers for education and
community-service projects in honduras and
jamaica. Volunteers are expected to create
and conduct projects tailored to their skills
and interests and local needs.
status: registered charity.
timing & length of projects: one year, with
extensions for an additional year available;
annual departures in august.
destinations: honduras & jamaica.
Costs/pay: the organisation covers
volunteers’ airfares, insurance, room and
board and in-country transportation costs; a
stipend of us$100 a month is also provided.
Volunteers are asked to help raise funds to
defray costs.
eligibility: the minimum age is 22; applicants
must be roman Catholic, us or Canadian
citizens, and in good health. a college degree
or comparable work experience is required.
the honduras programme requires a working
knowledge of spanish.
groups or Individuals: participants live and
work with four or five other volunteers; project
collaboration is strongly encouraged.
annual no. of Volunteers: 8
annual projects: the number of projects at
each site depends on volunteer interests and
local needs.
partner programmes: elms College
(Chicopee, ma) sends a small group of
college students to work with volunteers
during spring break.
selection & Interview process: Candidates
must demonstrate strong Catholic faith,
personal initiative, flexibility, creativity and
teamwork. previous volunteer or international
experience is also considered. spanish
language ability is required for placements
in honduras.
In-country support: a three-week pre-
departure session in june is followed by
a two-week in-country orientation, during
which logistical and cultural issues are
discussed. each site is supervised and
coordinated by a ‘formation team’ of
two local counterparts familiar with the
programme. Volunteer housing is located
in a safe area; emergency protocols are
enforced.