Be part of an amazing community where you will be spending your day enganing in indoor and outdoor activities with youngsters with disabilities that have been institutionalised for mostly their entire life.
At the Special Needs Support program, individualized care makes a huge difference in the lives of people living with disabilities and their access to the outside world that has been limited.
The premises of their houses include the various buildings where their school, kitchen, laundry, and playground are.
There, it is also located the activity center, where you will be volunteering surrounded by nature and a breath away from the beach.
What you will be doing in a few words:
You will be responsible for helping the children spend their time in a creative and enjoyable way.
You’ll work alongside a team of local staff and volunteers to help to run outdoor activities such as going swimming at the beach, sports, cinema and bowling visits, and indoor activities such as arts and crafts workshops, cooking, and even helping them in social integration.
As you will be working closely with the local placement staff, you are not required to have previous experience or training to participate in this project, however, you need patience and enthusiasm in order to better understand these kids, to help them open up to you and to find your own ways of communication by putting aside the language barrier.
Price
First 2 weeks 1390€
Following weeks 365€
Included
On the day of your arrival the ImpacTrip team will be at the airport waiting for you with a big sign and a smile on their face! 🙂
– Pick up at the international airport in Athens & public transportation transfer to the accommodation on Sunday!
– Accommodation in a dormitory at a youth hostel located in the heart of Athens, female dormitory or mixed dormitory with private bathroom shared with the rest of the people in your room. The hostel offers a bar area and sitting area, a communal kitchen for those that want to cook and also rooms with balconies to relax and a rooftop with the most amazing views of Acropolis.
– We will provide 3 Meals a day – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at the hostel. The menu consists of local food, a mixture of meat, fish and fresh vegetables made in “Greek style”.
– Orientation event on arrival including an introduction to Greek culture, volunteer experience, overview of programs, practical information, safety guidelines!
– Guided city tour & the best tips to discover the city!
– Allocation and coordination of a work placement in an impactful non-profit project!
– Introduction on the first day of volunteering!
– Ongoing support throughout the stay!
– 24h/7 emergency support!
Not Included
- Flights
- Pick-up at the airport on other dates
- Drop-off at the airport
- Towels are not included in the room
- Personal expenses
- Personal insurance (health or accidents)
More about this program
How is a typical day in this volunteer program?
Can I volunteer along with a friend of family member of mine?
Yes, of course you can! We regularly receive little groups of friends or family that come to participate in our programs together.
Do I have to pay money for volunteering?
You are not paying for your volunteer work itself but for your stay with us overall! The costs for your program further include various elements that are part of your stay here! Respective to your program, those elements can, for example, include your accommodation, food, transportation from and to the airport, insurance, guided tours, professional guides, supervisors or instructors, placement coordination and 24/7 support!
Please have a look at the pricing details of your program to find an accurate overview of all aspects included in each program and location.
Do I need to book my stay well in advance?
No, not necessarily! Depending on the current availability of the program of your choice, we may even be able to accommodate your stay and participation for the upcoming week! However, both in our responsible travel experiences and our volunteer programs as well as regarding our available beds in the hostel, we do sometimes reach our full capacity and therefore recommend booking your stay with us as early as possible to secure your spot!
Do I need to speak the local language?
No, you don't need to have any previous skills in the local language! All of our programs are run entirely in English and our guides and staff are all comfortable speaking English as well! But we always encourage our participants to get acquainted with some of the most basic terms and expressions, as even just a simple "Good morning!" in the local language can be a great icebreaker to start interacting with the locals!
There are also language lessons available for volunteers. The language lessons can be booked before or on the arrival. Lessons are taught by a professional teacher and tailored to each volunteer’s current language level.
How and when do I need to pay for my volunteer program with ImpacTrip?
You can pay us through Paypal or bank transfer. We will kindly ask you to pay 50% of your bill at the time of your booking to secure your spot! The other 50% will be due at least one month before your arrival!
What do I need to pack for my trip?
Are you already excited about your stay with us? We prepared a little list of essentials which can assist you with your packing:
- Basics (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner…)
- Medication contact lenses, glasses
- Clothes according to the local weather and the project you applied for
- Plug adapters and power converters
- Unlocked mobile phone – we will give you a Portuguese SIM card that you can charge according to your needs
- Laptop, tablet or smartphone so you have access to Wi-Fi almost everywhere
- Camera (if you want to capture all the unforgettable moments.)
What is ImpacTrip's Cancellation and Refund Policy?
Impactrip deposit fees are designed to be as affordable as possible to allow everyone to join our programs. Therefore, considering its limited capacity and the expectations of everyone involved, ImpacTrip is unable to provide a total refund policy.
Deposit Fee
The payment of the deposit fees confirms a volunteer’s acceptance onto one of ImpacTrip's volunteer programs. Deposit fees are not transferable to other people but may be transferable to another program.
The deposit fee is refundable until sixty days before the start date of the volunteer’s chosen program. Requests for deposit fee refunds must be made via an email to your ImpacTrip Booking Manager, clearly detailing the reasons for cancellation.
Cancellations are subject to the following policies:
- The notice period is based on the earliest start date the volunteer has ever been registered for.
- If a volunteer cancels sixty days or more before their earliest program start date, they can request a refund of the deposit fee, which will be provided minus the transaction costs of the refund. Alternatively, they may ask for a deposit fee credit to be held in their name for future use on any ImpacTrip program, subject to availability, for a period of twelve months from their earliest registered start date. This credit may be issued minus the value of any change fees the volunteer has incurred.
- If a volunteer cancels between fifty-nine and thirty days before their program’s start date, no refund of the deposit fee is available. A deposit fee credit may be held in their name for a period of twelve months from their earliest registered start date, for future use on another ImpacTrip program, subject to program availability and at the discretion of the Impactrip Booking Manager.
- If a volunteer cancels less than thirty days before their programs start date, no refund of any fees is available. A deposit fee credit may be held in their name for twelve months from their earliest registered start date, subject to availability, provided deposit fees have been paid in full by their due date.
Where a group of ten or more people is volunteering with ImpacTrip, the group leader must register ahead of other group members in order to secure the group’s dates and plans. Group members must then register no less than sixty days before the program starts. Group members who register less than sixty days before the program start date may be excluded from the program unless approved by ImpacTrip.
ImpacTrip reserves the right to revise its program fees at any time. All program fees revisions will be made via the ImpacTrip website. Program fee revisions are not applicable to volunteers who have already submitted their payment before the revisions are due to take effect. A volunteer’s placement on a program is not confirmed until the deposit fee has been paid in full and the availability has been confirmed by their ImpacTrip Booking Manager.
When can I start my volunteer period?
We welcome new volunteers twice a month every month of the year. Your arrival date should be the Sunday before an Introduction Day!
- We have Introduction Days on the first and third Monday of the month in Portugal and Croatia.
- We have Introduction Days on the second and forth Monday of the month in Spain.
Please be aware that:
- the Marine Conservation program in every destination is only available between March and October every year.
- the Wolf Conservation program in Mafra, Portugal is only available between February and November every year and have specific arrival dates.
Take a look at the experience description of the program of your choice to find some more detailed information. Also, please keep in mind that all of our programs are always subject to availability as the number of spots is limited!
Will I have time for some sight-seeing as well?
Of course! We want you to really get to know your natural and cultural surroundings and will provide you with useful tips and tricks that will help you discover the location of your stay like a local!
Your shifts will generally last between 3 and 5 hours per day and will take place either in the morning, in the afternoon or in the evening, which will leave you with plenty of free time to go explore, take a stroll around your surroundings, catch the most important sites, interact with the locals or simply go and relax! And of course, you will have your weekends off as well!