Vacation with Purpose: Benefits of Family Service Trips

Every family should have a service vacation on their bucket list. Service trips enable you and your family to experience a new culture and destination. Your family will be able to grow together and make everlasting memories not only for yourselves, but for the families you assist.

Julie Haupin

There are a multitude of different service trips all across the globe, and they are becoming increasingly popular. Families may opt to take a faith-based or spiritual trip, a trip that teaches children about nature and social issues around the world or even trips that are half service and half enjoyment. No matter the length or the extravagance of the site, you and your family will return home feeling refreshed and fulfilled.

The majority of service trips give children exposure to different cultures and different jobs. Everyone goes to work — whether you are building a house or teaching children how to read. There is a job for everyone and this system gives children a chance to experience a great deal of responsibility and the feeling as if they are truly making a difference.

If you thought service trips were all work and no play, you thought wrong. No matter the destination, there will always be time to explore, relax with your new friends and unwind for a meal. Even in a disaster zone, there is a chance to spread positivity and take a break from hard labor.

Karazim Ministries offers short-term mission trips on Grand Bahama Island. Although many people see the

Photo: Burt Johnson | Dreamstime

Bahamas as paradise, mission groups will find there are two sides to every story. Missioners will not only spend time helping local families do things such as rebuild houses and care for children, they will have a chance to enjoy local attractions and relax by the sea.

YouthRebuilding New Orleans was voted one of the 10 Best Family Volunteer Vacations by USA Today. YRNO hosts groups of all sizes and assigns teams to different jobs depending on their location. A lot of the work consists of demolition, painting and landscaping in an effort to redevelop some of the areas lost to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. YRNO’s mission is to engage local youth in the betterment and advancement of the Louisiana community.

SEEtheWILD is a great company to schedule a trip with whether you are looking for an affordable journey, a teen trip or a cultural adventure with family. Most of these trips split the time between work and play, and there are tons of trips to choose from located all over the world. Work at a dog rescue facility in Nepal, help a marine conservation exploration team in Fiji and Thailand, attend a wildlife conservation expedition in Africa or even conserve the bees and pollinators of Costa Rica.