Puerto Rico Cultural Exchange and Service Adventure

During her time in San Juan, my daughter had an incredibly impactful and rewarding volunteer experience. Devoting herself to serving others, she took part in building homes, lending a hand in the process of reconstruction and renewal. Witnessing the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, she felt a profound connection to the community and their journey towards recovery. Amidst the devastation, she channeled her passion for environmental preservation, working tirelessly to help nurture and cultivate plants that were vital to restoring the region's natural beauty.

Through her selfless efforts, my daughter played an instrumental role in fostering hope and healing for the people of San Juan. As she collaborated with locals and fellow volunteers, she not only honed her construction and gardening skills but also cultivated a deep appreciation for the power of collective action. The bonds she forged with the community members were invaluable, as they worked together to rebuild not only homes but also the spirit of resilience that defined the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Her volunteer experience in San Juan left an indelible mark on her heart, reinforcing her commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others. I couldn't be prouder of my daughter for embracing this opportunity to help those in need and demonstrate the importance of solidarity and compassion in times of crisis. This experience has undoubtedly shaped her into a more empathetic, compassionate, and responsible global citizen, ready to face any challenges that lie ahead with determination and kindness.

Before discovering Global Works and this trip, I was searching for a summer activity that I could attend that satisfied my love for traveling while also serving as a way to help a community in need. Fortunately, I decided to go to Puerto Rico. The trip was amazing! It allowed me to make so many friends, experience a new culture, serve a community, gain travel experience, and to overall learn more about myself. Before going on the trip, I knew almost nothing about Puerto Rico or the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria, but after attending the trip, I returned home with incredible eye-opening stories and experiences to share. The trip leaders were all amazing and truly wanted to get to know each and every traveler and make sure everyone was healthy and actively engaged in service and the experiences. All information before the trip was clearly provided and made my parents feel more comfortable with letting me travel alone to the Caribbean, and I was able to call my parents daily, which they appreciated. If you are wondering whether or not you should go, I would 100% recommend this trip!

Before my trip I was nervous and did not know what to expect. I personally think it helped being on the group flight because I had already met people before we arrived at the iconic Big Yellow House. I never expected the trip to have such an impact on me. The group became a big family after the first day. The people we helped had open arms and I am very grateful for that. The counselors were great and I personally think they contributed to such a great trip. All of the kids I was with were great people and fun to be around. I’ve formed life long friendships and hope to see everyone in the near future.
Although we worked hard on the trip, I enjoyed having time off to explore other parts of Puerto Rico and enjoyed learning to salsa dance with my new friends.

This was one of the best things I’ve ever experienced. I made great friends and met so many others. The counselors were fun, supportive, responsible, approachable and so much more. The people we worked with were so kind and understanding. I went in a group of 34 students which is pretty big so I was worried about the dynamic of the trip. But it turns out there was nothing to worry about! The group leaders adjusted and made sure everyone had everything they could possibly need. They have us jobs and made sure everyone knew what to do and where to be. We came in with open minds and made so many friends. Everyone got along for the most part and we weee one huge family by the end of the week. My one regret is that it was only a week and I wish we could stay for longer. I’ll remember this till the day I die and I will cherish it in my heart. The hardest part of this trip was saying bye to my friends, leaders, and the people we worked with. Up until we left I enjoyed every minute of my week in Puerto Rico! I hope to go back next year and help some more. I strongly suggest going on a service trip with Global Works. I know I got lucky with how great my group got along but regardless, you won’t regret it.

I was very nervous coming in. I had signed up alone and although I thought community service was important, I did not always enjoy it because I did not get to see what an impact it made. This trip changed everything! It started off by getting to know everybody and getting a walking tour of Old San Juan. The next few days we went into a community where they didn't know English and we mixed cement to make floors, walls, roofs and stairs for various houses. I'm not going to lie... If I never have to mix cement again, I will be very happy. My favorite part was hearing the stories of the people we were helping and getting to see the way it would change their lives forever. After that we got to zip lining on our way to the next location. That was a great view and a nice break from the hard work. At our next location we flattened rocks and dirt to make at flat road for the people to receive supplies for their forest preservation group. We also weeded out a huge area to create a tree nursery. This location was not my favorite of living quarters but I dealt with it. One night we got to go to the bioluminescent bay. It was one of the coolest things you will ever see! At night the water appears to glow from creatures in it. While you can't swim in it, it was still cool to dip hands and feet. I don't why this isn't one of the 7 wonders of the world. In our final location we got a trolley tour of a different city that had a lot of history. I'm not a huge history person but it was so cool to realize how old and strong the buildings are. Plus in both tour locations there is an opportunity to shop! For our final service project we reprinted some houses with chipped paint. Everybody had a blast doing it! For the last couple of days we stayed on a catamaran. It was soooooo much fun and a great time to bond with people! I became friends with every single person on the trip and we all cried when we had to leave. :( we still keep in touch and have had reunions to see each other. It was great forming bonds with all of these people and I came out with a new group of friends. Two weeks may seem like a long time but it was the shortest two weeks of my life in Puerto Rico. I loved this trip and would highly recommend it to anybody who likes to have fun and help others!