Resources for Group Leaders and Volunteers

Trip leaders have a LOT of responsibilities in the planning process. We are here to help ease the planning process by providing documents, timelines, and tips for planning. Every group is different, and we respect the needs and work styles of each trip leader. After initial contact with Service For Peace, the details of the planning process and trip itself will be discussed. Usually, Service For Peace will work with trip leaders to develop a timeline that regulates dates for the tasks related to trip planning, including payments, submission of forms and other documents, group meetings, meetings with Service For Peace representatives, project planning updates, cultural research, and more. In general, the most basic timeline might look like this:

• Confirmation of program (dates, number of participants, cost per participant, location, kind of service, etc.) Invoice sent with payment amounts and deadlines
• Memorandum of Understanding due
• Initial deposit due
• Participant forms due
• Second deposit due
• Meeting with Service For Peace representative
• Final deposit due
• Away you go!
• Follow-up evaluation meetings with trip leaders

More information about general resources can be found under Frequently Asked Questions, trip costs and policies, and more.

Fundraising

We understand how challenging it can be to raise funds to cover the costs of your trip. We encourage our volunteers to pursue fundraising strategies within their networks—friends, family, colleagues, classmates, and more. Additionally, we encourage our volunteers to review the Fundraising Guide for tips on designing fundraising strategies.

Packing lists

We know it can be a stressful task just deciding what to bring and not to bring on your program. We've developed sample packing lists to help our participants pack and be prepared for their experiences. Packing lists will vary depending on your host country and the length of your trip. We have the following packing lists available:

• Guatemala—1 week
• Guatemala—2 weeks
• Honduras—1 week
• Honduras—2 weeks
• Kenya—1 week
• Kenya—2 weeks
• Dominican Republic—1 week
• Dominican Republic—2 weeks
• Philippines—1 week
• Philippines—2 weeks

Don't see your country and timeframe? Feel free to contact us for more information about packing for your trip.

Code of Conduct

In addition to reviewing the payment and refund policies, we ask that all participants review our program Code of Conduct. All participants will be required to electronically confirm that they have read this policy and understand the expectations for respectful behavior during the program as exemplary global citizens.

Travel and health information

While Service For Peace does not offer individual travel insurance to volunteers, we strongly recommend that all our volunteers purchase emergency travel medical insurance. You should check with your medical insurance how much coverage you receive abroad. Service For Peace is not responsible for any emergency medical expenses incurred by volunteers while on our programs; volunteers should be prepared to pay the costs and then process reimbursements from insurance following the program. For volunteers who do not have international medical insurance coverage, we recommend the International Volunteer Card.

While Service For Peace will assist in the preparation process for volunteers and thus advising with national travel warnings, necessary vaccinations, visa requirements, and more, we recommend that volunteers pursue their own research on the above topics as well as passport requirements. Be sure to check the Center for Disease Control periodically before your trip. Additionally, be sure to keep tabs on national travel warnings for your host country by visiting the US Department of State website.