Construction / Childcare Projects in San Jose

I came to San Jose for 2 weeks, working in both Construction and Childcare. The construction project was really hands on, and I learned how to cut wall structures, use power tools, mix cement and much more. I was able to work closely with other volunteers on the project and through our teamwork and motivation we were able to succesfully complete our project. Our project manager Gonzalo was extremely helpful and very nice.

For Childcare, I worked at a daycare in a very poor neighborhood called Purral. All the children at the daycare had been sponsored by the Goverment due to issues with funding, or parental issues with Domestic violence, drugs, alcohol etc. Despite this, the kids were so warm, friendly, outgoing and happy. I worked with children ages 4-8, and I would spend the shift playing games, playing with toys, teaching them numbers/alphabet, drawing and much more. It was awesome to see how happy the kids were, and I truly felt like I made an impact on them.

Additionally, I met some great volunteers that I got to hang out with a lot, and the Maximo staff were EXTREMELY helpful and accomodating whenever I had any questions/concerns.

Overall one of the coolest and most impactful experiences of my life