UFS conducts a one-week chaperoned service program in July to San Juan, Texas, in partnership with Global Volunteers and other local community organizations to serve immigrants, refugees, and other migrants who arrive from all over the world through the US-Mexico border.
Please fill out an interest form
Program dates:
June or July 2025 dates to be announced soon.
High school age recommended; group size min is 10 and max is 11 volunteers including chaperones. The service program will be exclusively for a UFS team. However, if we are unable to fill the minimum number of volunteers the remaining spots in the program will be open to other volunteers (advertised by Global Volunteers to the public.)
Service Program:
All programs are led by experienced community partners and a program team leader. In cooperation with the community leaders, the team leader facilitates the team’s orientation and manages all service program-related logistical issues.
Humanitarian Respite Center
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley serves refugees and immigrants – men, women, and children – recently released and referred by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Most stay at the Respite Center only until they are transported to their final destinations. Volunteers work with local staff providing childcare, helping with meals, sorting/disbursing clothes, and helping with paperwork.
Distribute Fresh Produce, Dry Goods, and Frozen Foods to Children, Families, and Seniors
The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley serves over 75,000 area residents each week.
Prepare, Pack, and Serve Meals for Food-Insecure Residents
The St. Vincent De Paul Soup Kitchen supports low-income and unhoused individuals in the San Juan area. Volunteers often help to prepare and serve meals to over 400 local families who wait for hours to receive hot meals.
Home Construction and Repair
Proyecto Azteca, a community partner, serves low-income residents through a self-help construction program of single-family homes. Through this program, families acquire valuable lifelong skills in home construction and financing. Volunteer assignments depend on skill level, and include interior painting, house siding, tile work, site preparation, landscaping, building handicapped ramps, and upgrading bathrooms to be handicapped accessible.
Cost*:
$1,400 plus the cost of a roundtrip domestic flight to McAllen Airport (MFE). The program fee includes a UFS t-shirt, lodging, meals, airport transfer, and local transportation. *The service program contribution and airfare are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers.
Lodging
Standard lodging for this program is in the historic Alamo Inn B&B and includes a double occupancy room with a roommate.
Meals
Self-serve breakfast is included at the lodging, and bagged lunches are pre-packed by volunteers in the Inn’s mini-commercial kitchen and brought to work sites. Evening meals will be a combination of traditional Tex-Mex specialties prepared by a local cook and a couple of meals at local restaurants.
Freetime
There will be a visit to the border and one or more lectures/conversations about border issues presented by local knowledgeable professionals. There are optional opportunities to visit local museums, a basilica, and a wildlife refuge/bird sanctuary.