"There are times when language is not a vast barrier between people."
Kristina Blake
SDSU Student
The Esperanza Experience
Our volunteer program is foundational in the work of Esperanza. We have worked with volunteer groups from all over the United States for the past 20 years and receive over 1,600 volunteers a year. Volunteer experiences range from an afternoon of volunteering to a year of service and everything in between! There are a number of different experiences we offer to volunteer groups and we custom form the experience around the volunteer’s interests and mutual needs of Esperanza.
All trips can include volunteer participation in the local communities in housing or school construction, visits to local clinics, local orphanages, visits to Friendship Park along the border, cultural events, and meetings with our social workers regarding the reality of life just South of the border. As part of a class, the experience can be tailored to your curriculum. This could include civic engagement, immigration and US/Mexico relations, a Spanish language program or a cultural experience. As part of a faith experience, many ministers use the experience as a practicum to explore faith in action.
Volunteers walk away with a new perspective of the border region, an opportunity to understand issues of immigration and a greater understanding of Mexico and Mexican society. We base the experience around international solidarity, which means that in the same way that the students volunteer in the communities, local community members take part in the volunteerism, provide lunch for all volunteers and engage one another through the workday. It also means that we base our work around the community and relationships. The families that our program serves are involved in the work we do for upwards of 4 years and continue to serve in their own communities. The communities are truly the heart of all that we do and we encourage participants to learn some basic Spanish and to get to know the families. Many volunteer groups stay in touch with the families and revisit them each year.
For many participants, it is their first and only exposure to poverty. For others, it has been foundational in deciding how to continue their studies; a truly transformative experience. For all, it is a fun, gratifying and empowering learning experience.
September 5th is our open house for group leaders and all are invited to come visit our facility to learn more about our programs. If this is something that interests you, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have. We look forward to getting to know you and hope that you choose to join us in our work.
Esperanza hosts a number of different volunteer opportunities, which include visiting our Health Center, our Spanish Immersion Program, and various Internships we offer to college students. Please contact our Reservation Coordinator Aimee Khuu at EsperanzaInt@gmail.com for further information. She would love to hear from you!