LGBT Volunteer Vacations

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Volunteer Vacations in Costa Rica building trails in the cloud forest. (Photo Courtesy of Global Volunteers.)
Volunteer Vacations in Costa Rica building trails in the cloud forest. (Photo courtesy of Global Volunteers.)

Travelers are yearning to do more with their vacation time than just lay around the beach. Volunteer vacations are gaining popularity and Global Volunteers is launching its first-ever LGBT Volunteer Vacations program traveling to Costa Rica in August.

These programs will engage lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travelers in meaningful, short-term exchanges with local partners worldwide. The first LGBT Volunteer Vacations trips will send LGBT citizen ambassadors to Costa Rica, Italy, Greece, Peru, and more, giving LGBT tourists the chance to promote tolerance and understanding around the world as they enjoy an unconventional vacation.

“The creation of an LGBT-focused program—the first of its kind in the field of volunteer vacations—will help build bridges and understanding for the communities where our LGBT citizen ambassadors are able to make a difference,” says Linda Schlapp, director of LGBT programs and development.

Some experiences during the LGBT Volunteer Vacations include supporting a childcare center for children of single moms in Ecuador; teaching students conversational English in Italy or Peru; maintaining a friendly center for handicapped youth and adults in Greece; or helping to improve conversational English skills to young, visually impaired adults who are training for professional massage therapy careers in Vietnam. There will also be LGBT cultural activities scheduled during the program including outings to local LGBT establishments, as well as speakers from the local LGBT communities.

The next trip is traveling to Peru on Sept. 20 through Sept. 27, 2014 with rates starting at $2,395.

For more information on the programs available, visit globalvolunteers.org/lgbt/itinerary.asp or globalvolunteers.org/lgbt/.