Last year, 4 members of the New York City Church of Christ were able to participate in two different HOPE worldwide programs. Chardeline Hyppolite and Julienne Williams volunteered for the disaster relief program in Haiti and Cathy Basilan and Josh Schacht joined other singles around the world to volunteer in Philippines. See what their experiences were and apply by May 15th!
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Note: This article is a compilation of 4 HVC volunteers from the NYC Church of Christ and their experiences. HOPEww does not endorse this article and the article is only meant to share our perspective to you. Everyone’s experience is different and every HOPE program is different. We hope you’ll take on the challenge and have your own HOPEww experience. Every year HOPE worldwide selects a couple of sites for its HOPE worldwide Volunteer Corp (HVC) program. The HVC is an opportunity for families, couples and singles to spend a week or so to serve those in need. Past sites have included New Orleans, Bahamas, South Africa, Cambodia and more, with projects ranging from mentoring children to caring for patients to building sites. Last year, 4 members of the NYC Church of Christ were able to participate in 2 different HOPE programs. Chardeline Hyppolite and Julienne Williams volunteered for the disaster relief program in Haiti and Cathy Basilan and Josh Schacht joined other singles around the world to volunteer in Philippines. The Need
When I got to the Philippines and we went to the first location that we would be serving at (a free medical and dental clinic), it was clear that there were a lot of needs. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have any special skills, because there were so many ways to serve. Even if I wasn’t good at one thing, there were many other ways I could serve. Even something as simple as playing in the sand with the local kids turned out to be a great way to serve. In fact, spending time, encouraging and playing with the local kids was by far the most rewarding part of the trip. And no special skills were needed – just a willing heart and the desire to show God’s love for others by loving people.” –Josh Schacht, Manhattan The Experience In practically every HVC site, your heart will definitely grieve for the poor and suffering—whether its severe poverty in the many squatter homes in Philippines or chaos and devastation in Haiti. But despite their challenges, you will be inspired and convicted by the joy of the children, the perseverance of the adults and the care and love of people to give and help one another. In Haiti, the HVC volunteers spent the days at an orphanage teaching the children English, Math, Science, Health, and Art. The children really loved learning and they were very interactive. We also had spiritual lessons for the children and we talked to them about the earthquake and about loss and grief. We did a great deal of teaching, playing games, encouraging, listening and guiding. The children all experienced some form of scabies, eczema, stomach worms, ring worm, and other conditions, yet they were very loving and full of life. In Philippines, the HVC volunteers were able to serve in a multitude of ways. We served and played with the kids in the HOPE daycare sites. We built a recreational waiting area in Payatas and improved the site by cleaning, painting and changing the windows. We advocated for children’s rights against sexual abuse in Laguna by teaching the kids about their rights through a puppet show. We also built a bridge and made home visits in the squatter homes, giving the families some daily necessities. The language barrier turned out to not to be an issue at all. Communicating with the kids was a little challenging, but I found ways to communicate with a few basic words, lots of hand motions and facial expressions. It was very effective and we understood each other pretty well. Many of the local adults spoke some English and for those that didn’t, there was often a local HOPE representative there to translate. Also, asking one of the locals to help teach you some of the language is a great way to start a conversation. In both Haiti and Philippines, it was incredibly hot (about 90 degrees or more each day but the weather was not too dry). Stay out of the sun as much as possible. Wear sunscreen and drink a lot of water (make sure it’s bottled water). You need to dress for warm weather (wicking polyester) but be mindful to be modest. There are mosquitoes so bring mosquito repellant! It’ll also be good to bring a flashlight and a converter plug. In Haiti, people have a medium sized breakfast, large lunch, and small dinner so prepare accordingly. You need to bring trail mix, snack bars, beef jerky, and other non perishable foods to snack (especially if you have a sensitive stomach!). Bring Tums, Advil and other basic over-the-counter medicine. In Philippines, the accommodations had everything we needed, although not always hot water! In Haiti, we slept in a tent on the property of an orphanage so bring what you need for you to be comfortable. It would be good to bring your own toilet paper, as in some third world country, the bathrooms do not come with it. Of course make sure you have your passport and any required visas. Check with your doctor that you have all the shots you need before travelling (Hep C shots, Diphtheria shots, TB shots, etc.). It would be great to bring items to give the families in any HVC program. We worked with our local sector to gather clothing, books, toys, etc. that we could take with us. You should try to do this also. It’s a great opportunity to let others help you serve who won’t be able to come. The Impact
You see the impact of your serving not just by any tangible change like a recreation site but by the joy and laughter of the children, the hugs and tears at the goodbye from those in the community, the appreciation of the adults that you took time out of your life to help them who you don’t even know, and the memories they recollect now when they think of you and HVC. But honestly, the HVC experience will impact you so much more than you could ever leave them an impact. The lessons you learn at the HVC about yourself and life will stay with you, and hopefully be reflected in your life and your actions after HVC.
It also taught me how easy and quick it could be to build and create that loving and family atmosphere with disciples. Despite coming from all walks of life, ages, experiences, etc. the fellow volunteers were able to quickly be unified and be effective for God together because we were focused in things outside ourselves. We definitely still battled our own personal issues–death anniversaries of loved ones, insecurity, physical hardships, sickness, being outside of our comfort zone, our relationship with God, just to name a few. But it showed me how if we all really just focus on something other than ourselves, God will take care of us and help us go through our personal issues but still help us to be effective for Him and be great fellow workers for Him.” –Cathy Basilan, Bronx Conclusion This year, the HVC programs will be in Mexico and Haiti. If you have the desire to serve and want to experience another culture at the same time, then you should apply for the HVC! Go with a sense of adventure, an eagerness to learn and experience the culture, and a heart to love and serve the people you meet and you won’t be disappointed. We encourage you to apply and have your own HOPE experience to share with us! |
“Before going on the trip, I wasn’t really sure how I would be able to contribute. I didn’t have any special skills like construction experience, medical experience, teaching experience or even the ability to speak the local language – things that I thought would be really useful. All I really had was a willing heart that wanted to serve in any way I could and the desire to experience a new culture first-hand.
“It allowed us to see their gratitude and the positive effects and magnitude of our servitude… I did not know what to expect when I got there. What I did get was love from children who just wanted love themselves. They had so much love, which gave us all the strength to love more and give to them what we were capable of giving.” –Julienne Williams, Bronx
“The kids have taught me a lot how to be open and loving despite their previous physical or sexual abuse and despite their current financial/social state. Philippines and the people have reminded me how much more lighter and enjoyable life can be if we can just be content with what we have. I visited the squatters and everyone was helping one another and there was no bitterness or anger in their heart because of where they were in life. 
