HomeTravel DiaryLiving in ParadiseMeaningful trips by volunteering

Meaningful trips by volunteering

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Give away stuff, get paid with love and thankfulness!

Volunteer in Arenal Costa Rica! Right at the moment you decide to visit this country, many doors open. The path to build unforgettable memories is available for you thanks to all the elements gathered togheter such as beach, mountain, breathtaking backgrounds, hikes, extreme adventures, relaxation and rich biodiversity. But, what if in this journey you could create a different kind of memories; love and hope memories.

Volunteering or donating is building faith, is painting a shinning star in someone’s dark sky or drawing a smile, is fortifying the dreams of many who haven’t had the same opportunities as you and put your share to help accomplish them. Helping others is one ironic way in which you give your everything away, but you never remain empty, indeed, you fill yourself.

This activity is a different kind of adventure, but worth of living undoubtedly. Helping others, is helping yourself. By your effort comes a personal growth in addition. As you learn a lot about culture, history, locals and traditions you’ll have fun playing and sharing with kids or even animals.

If you are passing by La Fortuna you also can be part of this initiative for building a better world and help healing wounds made because of poverty, the lack of opportunities, deforestation and evil people. Here are some ideas for volunteering and donating:

Volunter Arenal Costa Rica

Proyecto Asís Wildlife Rescue Center

Build brighter days for Costa Rica's biodiversity!

Located an hour away from La Fortuna, Proyecto Asis strives to improve the lifes of local rural community and foreign volunteers by educating them on the environment, conservation, and wildlife preservation. Proyecto Asis is officially recognized by and work in close coordination with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (MINAE) and the Monteverde Conservation League.

They hope to be helping to restore the balance between nature and humans by offering help to more than 70 animals who have been injured or lost their homes due to different causes, and by showing people to conceive themselves as a part of surrounding nature and friends of animals. They give shelter to a variety of animals such as Spider Monkeys, macaws, Capuchin Monkeys, parrots and many others who have been rescued but can’t return to the forest as they’ve lost the instinct to survive on the wild.

This conservation center, is hoping to raise enviromental responsability on their visitors by showing the truth about the black market of exotic species. Costa Rica’s most amazing atributes are always promoted, but there are more realities about this paradise.

What they want to do is to show people the other face of this recognized and green destinies, this way, they might be raising awareness and making lower the crimes against wildlife committed in the jungle. Petitioners pay a price to sign on and keep inside the program they want. This money is used for the maintenance of the refuge and development of different initiatives related to animals welfare.

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This Wildlife Rescue Center has developed many volunteering programs like:

  1. Tour+Volunteering:

    You’ll enjoy a guided tour in which many facts and information about wildlife will be taught to you. You will not only be near wild animals, but also help in their rehabilitation by volunteering. All this in a short experience that lasts around 3 1/2.

  2. Full-day Activity:

    Go beyond in a 7 hours experience helping the animals of the refuge. Expect an inspirational time improving the life of this friends.

  3. Full-day Activity + Home-stay:

    This all inclusive home-stay and tour allows you to have a true Costa Rican experience. Volunteer during the day and work among friendly animals. Also stay one night with a local family that  has been carefully screened. They will be hosting you and will provide authentic Costa Rican meals and hospitality.

Tasks you can expect to perform as a volunteer:

  • Surgeries (Vet programs).

  • Make toys for the animals.

  • The introduction of animals to their new living quarters according to their natural habitats (Science/vet programs).

  • Feed animals.

  • Painting.

  • The receiving and evaluation of recently arrived animals (Vet programs).

  • The daily care and eventual liberation of animals back into the forest.

  • The preparation of animal diets and foods.

  • The maintenance of facilities.

  • The cleaning of enclosures and living areas.

 We can’t tell you that these animals are 100% happy, but they wouldn’t survive in the forest by their own. What we know for sure, is that we are giving them a better life than the one they used to have and that really counts.

Álvaro Del Castillo (Proyecto Asís Director)

The programs previously mentioned, are short term programs you can join in case you are staying a few days near La Fortuna area, but they have designed some others in order to give a variety of possibilities so the future volunteer can adjust their needs to it. Some of this programs are:

  • Family Programs: Stay with your kids under 9 yrs. old in a home-stay program. Also volunteer and enjoy tours. Includes Spanish Program and participation in the environmental education programs specially designed for the children.
  • Spanish Programs: in order to taught the petitioner this language. All this programs are blended with volunteering at the refuge and home-stay.
  • Longer Home-stay Programs.
  • Science/Vet programs: apply your advanced knowledge as student or professional in the care of animals.
Volunter Arenal Costa Rica

Costa Rica Dog Rescue & Adoption Center

Be dog's best friend!

The mission of Costa Rica Dog Rescue & Adoption is to help rescue, take care of homeless dogs and eventually place them into permanent loving homes, but finding a home for them isn’t easy.  This center have rescued over 150 dogs and counting over the past five years and actually shares shelter to 40 dogs, all of them looking for a second chance.

Meanwhile, this refuge, has to give this friends the life they deserve, which requires lots of effort as they need packages of dog food, toys, build a safe roof, vet care, workers to help take care of them and a variety of medicines like dewormings and different kinds of vaccinations in order to prevent diseases as well as for curing those canines, usually malnourished, with fleas and ticks, left in this organization doorstep.

This center is in need of regular donations to accomplish their goals. Right now they are working on a project to expand their facilities and welcome more homeless canines.

The organization request an amount of $25 dolars to every person who wants to volunteer there, but they also sell T-shirts in order to create a fund destinated to support this initiative.

CR Dog Rescue & Adoption Center is a non-profit organization, which the only fortune they hope to gather is a treasure of love, happy barks and joy. Besides all this requirements, there is something crucial for every dog development that can’t be bought: people’s love and care. This is why the owners request support as a volunteer to full-fill what this dogs aim.

You can help to create better days for this buddies, by just making a click HERE to make your volunteering reservation. This dogs are soo thankful that they will be pleased to create love memories with you even if you stay just for a few hours.

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Tasks you can expect to perform as a volunteer:

  • The introduction of the recently arrived dogs to their new home.
  • Feed the dogs.
  • The cleaning of enclosures and living areas.
  • Play and share with dogs.

Donate and help

100% of every dollar goes directly to support these beautiful animals needs.

Every kind of dog supplies are welcome.

Click HERE to donate.

Also donate by purchasing at CR Dog Shop

Buy a CR Dog Rescue Center T-shirt for $25 price. From this amount $15 goes straight to the center and $10 are kept to manufacture more T-shirts.

This clothing is available online or at the following location:

Click HERE to visit the virtual store.

Give a hand by escorting a dog from Costa Rica to the U.S.

If you live in Los Angeles, Seattle, or Minneapolis and you are coming to Costa Rica, you can help transporting dogs for adoption way to your residence city whether in-cabin or checking below the plane.

Send an e-mail for more information to:

info@crdogrescue.com

Volunteering at La Fortuna Orphanage

Support these kids fundamental rights: be loved and be happy!

St. Bosco Orphanage is the only one of its kind at the area.  This orphanage is where children are directly taken from critical home situations, giving them a safe shelter.  The loving employees, director, psychologist and volunteers help by filling this home with love and welfare. 

Their mission is to enforce children’s  fundamental rights as human beings. By not letting them be exposed to highly dangerous places that might affect their development, they hope to be guaranteeing a bright future.

 Their goal is to provide these children with the knowlege of how worthy values like honesty, respect, love, courage,  self-steem, social and enviromental responsability, friendship and mutual help are, raising outsanding citizens for the future.  

Employees deeply believe that this orphanage isn’t just a shelter but a new home that will take care and fight for them when their parents gave up. For this workers, it does not matter if a child is there for a day, a month or a year, they just trust all these children deserve a better life.

Tasks you can expect to perform as a volunteer:

  • If you are a doctor or dentist, giving free medical checks or dental exams
  • Take care of babies
  • Read to the children
  • Help with cooking/prep, groceries
  • Painting
  • Play with children
  • Gardening
  • Construction
  • Help to take the children to somewhere fun like local pools, parks, and other activities discussed with the director.

Send an e-mail to this adress in order to receive more information or to arrange a visit at La Fortuna Orphanage, we will be pleased to help you.

info@travelarenal.com

Other initiatives you can support by donating:

Volunter Arenal Costa Rica

Pack for a Purpose

Small space, little effort and big impact!

Pack for a Purpose is an organization extended all over the globe. Many hotels, travel agencies and other establishments have decided to embrace this commintment as a way to support the social development of the surrounding communities in need.

This initiative is very approchable thanks to the simplicity it has. Have a big impact in the towns you visit by just using a small amount of space in your luggage to pack supplies needed by community projects around the area.

Have an impact anywhere you go by following this easy steps:

  • Find an accommodation or tour company and a project it supports close to the destiny you are going to visit.
  • Choose the supplies you wish to take from the specific items requested.
  • Drop off the supplies at the accommodation or tour company.
  • They will be delivered to the project; it’s that easy!

Candy and balloons are not on the needs lists as they are harmful for the children and the environment. Instead any of those, use that space for additional requested supplies as they are priceless.

If you are visiting Arenal area, you can follow this initiative by supporting these companies Pack for a Purpose projects (click the bussine name to review the list of supplies required):

  1. The Springs Resort & Spa
  2. Arenal Kioro Suites & Spa
  3. Pure Trek Costa Rica

All this companies support La Fortuna Orphanage, known by locals as “el hogarcito” . This temporal home protects from a variety of situations a number of 17 children.

It is shelter for kids of ages from 6 months to 11 years old, which are the most important ages to raise integral and healthy kids.

La Fortuna Orphanage leads a huge commitment with tomorrow’s society as they put their best effort on giving this kids, what have been taken away from their lives. “El hogarcito” fills fundamental needs this kids have, until they eventually, find a permanent home, but they needs lots of help to build a safe future for this angels.

Remember you can pack for a purpose to almost all over the globe:

Category:     Living in Paradise

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