Volunteer on U.S.-Mexico Border – Tax-Deductible Starting $1,177

Volunteering in the Rio Grand Valley in southern Texas was my 5th Global Volunteers service program. We hear so much about our southern border in the news. It was great to visit and serve in the area. We learned so much and did what we could to serve the community. We started our service by volunteering at the Rio Grande Valley Food Bank, one of the largest in the country, where we packed 482 food packages to go to low-income families. We spent 2 days at the Humanitarian Respite Center where we were able to interact with refugee families and play with the children there. We also served at a local soup kitchen. During our free time, we were able to visit the Santa Ana National Wildlife refuge where we were able to hike to the Rio Grande. On our last day, we visited the border area and saw the border wall that separates Mexico and the USA. In addition to all the places we visited, we were able to help with a home construction project. We also listened to two local women who have worked in the area for decades and gave us PowerPoint presentations on the USA Immigration policies over time. Our team leader, Barbara Morris, did an excellent job facilitating our experiences in the Rio Grande Valley. This weeklong journey was a unique service opportunity and simply amazing.

This was my first "domestic" volunteer trip, and one of my most impactful. I felt like I was getting to pull back the curtain and see the reality of the refugees who came in - learning about their stories and the long road they still had to travel. There is so much misinformation regarding this issue and although I know it's a political hot button, I got to experience the humanitarian side of it it - putting faces to the numbers. Barbara Bicknell was an excellent leader and I credit her for the way our group of 11 became fast friends and worked so well together. Painting the house with 4 other women, under the guidance of Projecto Azteca, was no easy feat, especially given the heat and the conditions of the space, but it was rewarding and we were able to make it a fun project.

This was my first trip with Global Volunteers. I choose this one in Texas as I wanted to learn more about (and see for myself) what was happening at the border as well as be of help. I was totally overwhelmed and found this to be one of the most powerful weeks that I have ever experienced.

Every person that we met regardless of status was kind, grateful and helpful. The people who spoke to us provided a wealth of information on the area, the needs of the community, the resources available and more. We were given first hand opportunities to see and work with the refugees at the Respite Center.

To see and hear the stories of the refugees touched me to the core of my being. I believe everyone should go here to learn and help educate others. The support and direction from Global Volunteers was wonderful. I felt safer there than many of the clinics that I have worked out in Virginia.