Tag Archives: summer volunteer program

Volunteers

Reflecting on Spring 2026: Building Impact, Looking Ahead to Summer

As we begin to wrap up the 2026 spring volunteer season and prepare for the summer 2026 summer volunteer season, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who visited us and provided essential services and resources to the communities we support.

This spring, volunteers contributed to a wide range of CRHF programs, including youth development initiatives in arts, sports, tutoring, languages, and technology. Visiting groups also led impactful health and health education activities, offering support in areas such as nutrition, basic medical check-ups, vision care, and dental services.

In addition, past and long-term volunteers have been working diligently to organize medical records and other key data for the Foundation. This effort allows us to reflect on the impact we have made across different regions of Costa Rica over the decades and helps guide our future work.

Our collaborators continue to provide excellent services as we strive to improve our programs and maximize the resources made available to us.

Volunteer group visits not only strengthen our capacity to serve communities, but their contributions also play a vital role in ensuring our financial sustainability. This support allows us to plan and implement medium- and long-term programs through our model of development.

As the days begin to grow warmer, we are preparing for volunteer groups visiting in the summer of 2026. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with groups who have supported us over the years, and we are equally excited to welcome new groups. We invite anyone interested in supporting our work to reach out and learn how you can be part of this positive change.

Ready to make a meaningful impact this summer?
Join our Summer 2026 volunteer programs and become part of a hands-on effort to support communities across Costa Rica. Whether your strengths are in education, health, youth development, or community building, there’s a place for you to contribute.

Spots are filling quickly—reach out today to learn more about available dates, program options, and how you or your group can get involved.

Be part of the change. Volunteer with us this summer.

Quarterly Newsletter

Reflecting on a Fruitful Summer: Our Journey and Achievements

After a couple of busy summer volunteer program months, we are finally taking some time to share the work we’ve accomplished. A special thanks goes out to the volunteers who joined us during their summer vacation, our donors, collaborators and everyone who continues to support our dream.

Following the 4th of July celebration in Bajamar, we collaborated with a group of special education teachers who provided training and learned about our educational models in the centers in La Carpio.

We also hosted the same organization from Bajamar, bringing a total of 70 adolescents over two days to La Carpio. This experience took us back to the pre-pandemic days when we would host up to 200 volunteers in a single day across the country. Those were good times, and it’s heartening to see things looking up again.

We were particularly excited to host the MSU Medical Student group as part of our Health Education program. This partnership, which we’ve been working on since last year, holds great promise for becoming a long-term collaboration.

Through the health campaign program, we provided medical consultations, referrals, and treatments to over 300 patients over four days. Extensive testing and diagnosis were carried out, with most patients treated on-site. We continue to follow up with those who have more severe ailments.

A special thanks to the local medical and pharmaceutical team who supervised the program; Dr. Hellen; Susy; the La Bomba Pharmacy for the very reasonable pricing; to Sabrina, who managed the complex logistics and planning for the MSU team; and to individual volunteer interpreters Stena, Steven, Kelcy and Family, and Irene and her daughter.

Steven, our permanent individual volunteer continued to present healthy lifestyle workshops. The latest was about the importance of regular medical testing for women, regardless of their age.

Stena also taught math related skills to all our teachers, providing them with the skills and materials needed to continue.

We also had the pleasure of hosting the French/British volunteer family—Kelcy, JD, Elliot, and Chloe—for a week at our new volunteer homestay. They engaged in youth development, served as interpreters, and immersed themselves in the culture of La Carpio. They also joined the sports league over the weekend for a match. What a fantastic way to spend a summer vacation with family! They are now off to explore the jungles and beaches of Costa Rica.

As a side note – recently, one of the football teams of the Recate Sports League won 17-2 against the Saprissa Team – one of the top teams in Costa Rica.

Last week, to close out the volunteer summer program, a group from Troy University visited us. They worked on youth development, built a bunk bed, and learned about our PREMDEV initiatives and La Carpio.

We are also thrilled to announce that we successfully delivered all the materials for the new clinic in Alto Chirripo to the worksite. This was made possible through the hard work and precise logistical planning of Regional CCSS Director Vinicio and a team of local indigenous workers. The walls, roof, piping, and foundation are now complete. Thanks to the Swiss Embassy for partially to sponsoring this effort.

Our faithful supporter, Howard, also visited us providing the collaborators much deserved days off, R&R and leisurely activities.

All of this progress has been made while our regular programs continue to thrive in La Carpio, Uvita, Cabecar, and BriBri.

And all of this as we make the transition into our amazing new headquarters in Ciudad Colon…”Casa Quetzal” will be our orientation, eco-camp, women’s retreat center and peaceful place for volunteers and collaborators. Keep following our posts and reading our blog posts for more details on this very soon.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way. We’re excited to keep moving forward together!

Charitable Contribution, Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, La Carpio

A Day in the Life: Gail’s Shared Joy and Grief

Saturday, June 9

Today, like every day, I see what are called my cases. I have an office, and people lined up to see me.

Jony:

A Nicaraguan refugee from 2018. Both his brothers were murdered. He lives in a house with his wife, 17-year-old son, and autistic son, whom he loves with all his heart. He has a chronic ailment. We provide him with monthly rent relief and a weekly food basket. His autistic son has been having constant, uncontrollable seizures. I provide Jony a safe place to cry.

Maria:

A Nicaraguan refugee with cancer. She has one child and has been diagnosed with cancer. Her chemotherapy and radiotherapy were suspended because she can’t pay for insurance since she can’t work. She lives with her mother in a house where the owner is an angel on earth. This kind landlady helps Maria get to our place and carries her food basket for her. I provide both her and her neighbor with food and talk with her gently. On Monday, she shows up beautifully dressed, smiling, her wispy hair combed, and thankful to us for our help.

Hugo:

An ex-Contra fighter with an extensive family. He always shows up with something to give so we can provide him with free food. I always banter good-naturedly with him because I am Gringa, he is Nica, and I was Sandinista.

Carla:

A young mother of three, including a very fragile newborn. We give her clothes, diapers, food, and love for her kids. She can’t work. I provide her with some rent relief. I see she is scared, and I see her.

Maria and her 13-year-old son:

He is trying desperately to stay in school and graduate sixth grade. He comes every day to help carry up the food. They just got evicted. I gave her rent relief, and our team decided to make him a formal member and provide him with weekly financial help and a food basket.

And So The Days o By

If I did not have the support of the donors, none of these fragile and gentle people could get their needs met. A listening heart is good, but a listening heart with some financial power is better.