Our Trips

Overview:

Bridges to Community began as a group of friends traveling together to Nicaragua. We want to keep that spirit moving forward and to foster the kind of strong and active communities that we think are the foundation for positive change. Most of our volunteers come to us as an organized group -- members of a church or synagogue, an extended family, coworkers in a corporation or business, classmates in a high school or college. We believe this enhances the experience, and it also allows us to do more with our resources.

Our standard trip is nine days in length, and includes an orientation upon arriving in the host country, five days of living in and working with a local community, side excursions for sightseeing at local points of interest, and a closing reflective and informational meeting. Without question, the Bridges travel experience is challenging - intellectually, physically, and spiritually. Volunteers find themselves sleeping on cots, eating staple foods, using outhouses, and dealing with heat and insects, combined with physically and emotionally demanding work. We want Bridges volunteers to be exposed to the realities of living in a materially poor country.

Depending on the site you travel to and the interest of your group, you may be involved in projects in any of our component areas. Our construction projects occur in all of our sites in Nicaragua and include houses, schools, and community centers. Our medical and public health work involves clinic work, home visits, public health education, and working with local practitioners. We are also currently working on family health projects which include the installation of smoke-reducing stoves, new latrines, and filtered water systems. If there's an area where your group has a particular interest or expertise, talk to us about developing a special project.

If you're interested in the Bridges experience, send us an email, and we'll help you get started!