14 Sep 5 Best Family Volunteer Vacations

There’s nothing like a great family getaway. A chance to bond, relax, and have fun together. What else could be better, you ask? How about family volunteer vacations? That’s right, it’s possible to give back while enjoying a fun-filled escape.

Volunteering offers a great chance to take a step back and realize how lucky you are while working to lend a helping hand to others and the environment. Giving back together as a family will bring you close together while establishing important values in kids and young adults. And you don’t have to travel to a third-world country to make a difference. Here are five different opportunities within the US and Mexico for you and your family to volunteer—while traveling and enjoying a fun retreat.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary – Kanab, Utah

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Kids and adults alike will love working together to tend to the variety of animals that are housed there—cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, pigs, and more. Kids will gain an extra boost of confidence being put in charge of cleaning a rabbit pen, socializing with a shy kitten, or taking a dog for a walk. During the summer, the shelter offers a kids camp so adults are able to experience a more involved volunteer experience. Learn more about the various volunteering options on their website.

Sierra Club – Various Locations

The Sierra Club focuses on the need for the environment to be preserved. While many are used to just enjoying the great outdoors, this volunteer opportunity gives you the chance to work with the nation’s largest environmental organization to help upkeep our world. Depending on when you are looking to vacation, there are a variety of trips in different locations for you to choose from. These five day excursions allow you to work on trails or create animal habitats, all while taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of nature. Find your next outting here.

Solmar Foundation – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

When many people travel to Mexico, they seclude themselves in a specific resort and tend not to venture off. While resorts offer many fun and carefree experiences, you can benefit from leaving the resort gates and going out into the community. The Solmar Foundation (affiliated with Solmar Hotels & Resorts), works in the Los Cabos area by bringing people to help at local shelters, orphanages, and nursing homes. These twice weekly morning tours are available for resort guests and locals alike. See their official website for details.

Give Kids the World Village – Kissimmee, Florida

While you normally visit Florida to explore the area’s best and most exciting theme parks, it’s definitely worth it to take a day off to help those less fortunate. Give Kids the World Village is a different kind of theme park that caters to children who are facing life-threatening diseases and their families. The Village depends on volunteers that help fill hundreds of shifts every day doing things such as scooping ice cream, running a merry-go-round, or assisting with pony rides. There is something for all ages to help with and make a difference. See how you can help by visiting their website.

Youth Rebuilding – New Orleans, Louisiana

While more than a decade has past since Hurricane Katrina, the area is still in desperate need of help. Kids 12 and over can volunteer to help rebuild distressed and foreclosed homes that are sold to teachers. This helps to rebuild and stabilize the area’s neighborhoods and promote local education. This experience will help people get their lives back and certainly make a difference in the community, something you and your family can be very proud of partaking in! Learn more about the volunteer work and how you can take part on their website.

After giving back, volunteer vacations may become a regular tradition for you and your family! Enjoy traveling more and volunteering at a variety of places with the incredible accommodations deals from ResortRentals.com. Take advantage of our vast selection of family-friendly resort suites and make the most out of your next vacation.