Volunteer in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas

“Partnerships are the biggest thing for us.
We want volunteers to understand our issues
here on the border.”
– Proyecto Azteca Director Ann Cass

Be the Change. Be a Global Volunteer in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

Experience Life along the US-Mexico border.

The Rio Grande Valley often looms large in today’s news. But beyond the headlines and politics lies vibrant communities requesting your help. The families we assist struggle with the basic necessities of life. You can lend your hands and spirit to projects improving their living conditions through an exemplary program originally founded to assist migrant farm workers. In just one week, you can make a difference, form bonds with the people of this community, and learn first-hand the issues facing this multicultural community.

Get Started in Texas

Serve in the Rio Grande Valley.

Local time:

Required Mobility Level:
Somewhat mobile

Call: 651-407-6100

Request Program Information

Quick Online Registration

FAQs:

Genuine development projects to help children and families thrive. Exceptional service-learning for families, groups and individuals.

Community Projects

Humanitarian Respite Center
Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley provides assistance and support to the poor and most vulnerable regain hope and dignity. They serve 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. All immigrants at the Respite Center are legally in the United States.

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. Volunteers are vital to support the critical mission of this local institution.

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 with this volunteer-run organization.

Home Construction and Repair
Proyecto Azteca, our primary 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.

Dates & Fees

Arrival and Departure

A short flight or drive away.

Plan your flight to arrive at McAllen International Airport (MFE) before 5:00 PM on Saturday, the first day of the service program, and depart after 10:00 am on the following Saturday. We will meet you and your teammates at the airport and transport you to your lodging in San Juan and return you to the airport at the end of the service program.

If you decide to drive independently to San Juan, either from home or the airport, please let us know. Whether you are driving or flying, if you are delayed, please contact us with your updated arrival plans. Global Volunteers’ service programs officially begin with the Saturday evening meal and ends with breakfast on the following Saturday. Your volunteer orientation materials include directions to your team meeting place in San Juan, TX.

Food and Lodging

Good rest and food for a full day of volunteering.

Starting in January 2024, standard lodging for this program will be in the charming and comfortable Alamo Inn B&B. Specializing in birding tours, this accommodation provides an oasis for both naturalists and volunteers alike. Standard program lodging includes a double occupancy room with a roommate. A limited number of single rooms are available for an extra $200 fee for the week.

All guest rooms include a full bathroom, mini-fridge, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, and access to free Wi-Fi. Some rooms include a separate living room area and/or a full kitchen. Family rooms for families or groups of 3-5 volunteers may be available upon request.

Self-serve breakfast is included at the lodging and typically consists of cereal, toast, yogurt, fruit, and a selection of coffee and tea. Bagged lunches of sandwiches, chips, and fruit 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 specialties prepared by a local cook and a couple of meals at local restaurants. Specialties are typical South Texas cuisine, heavily influenced by the large Hispanic population in the area. Vegetarian diets can be accommodated. Vegan and other restrictive diets cannot be specifically accommodated. Though some options may meet the dietary needs of those with vegan or other restrictive diets, it is recommended that these volunteers bring or plan to purchase some food of their own.

: The outside of the historic Alamo Inn’s main building, which is over 100 years old.

: Example of a comfortable living room in a garden suite.

: The dining and meeting area where a light breakfast is available to volunteers each morning.

: Example of a kitchen in a suite.

: Example of a charming themed room in the main building.

: Example of a double room in a cozy suite.

: There are many plants outside of the garden suites.

: Pork tacos from a food truck at the Alamo Food Truck Park.

Health and Safety

Your safety is our top priority.

Your lodging, food and transportation are provided with a mind to help you ensure your health, safety and security while at the work site and lodging facility. Your team leader is trained in CPR and First Aid. Read more about health and safety here.

South Texas can be hot any time of year. Sunburn and dehydration can be risks, so we urge you to pack sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and a water bottle. Mosquitos can also be present any time of year, so please bring mosquito repellent. We encourage you not to pet or engage with stray dogs or cats and strongly recommend you consult your physician, public health clinic, and/or travel clinic for detailed travel health information, and make sure your vaccinations are up to date. We also suggest you purchase trip cancellation insurance in the event you must cancel your participation on the service program. Your travel agent can refer you to travel insurance providers.

Team Leaders

Excellence in team management so you can focus on service.

Your team leader is a Global Volunteers staff member or volunteer alumni who has completed our comprehensive team leader training and is skilled in leading diverse groups of people. All team leaders are certified in CPR and First Aid, and have served on or led multiple service programs – some up to 50 times and more! Further, they’re evaluated by the volunteers on each service program, and must consistently achieve a high level of performance in order to continue leading Global Volunteers teams. All of our team leaders are exceptional and delightful people. You’ll receive background information on your team leader approximately four weeks before your service program begins.

Free Time

Time to explore and restore.

Free time is provided after the work day to enjoy local natural and culture attractions, which include the Basilica of our Lady of San Juan de Valle, The McAllen Heritage Center, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge – home or host to over 400 species of birds. Please note that you will need to arrange transportation to visit these free time destinations. Some volunteers arrive a day or two early or stay after the service program. The beaches of South Padre Island in the Gulf of Mexico is a popular feature of the Rio Grande Valley, and a destination for snowbirds, spring breakers, and families looking for fun in the sun nearly year-round. The Padre Island National Seashore near Corpus Christi is the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world, and is even a nesting place for Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles.

Family Opportunities

The family that serves together, learns together.

Your daughter, son or grandchild can join you and fully participate in work projects, team meetings, and free time activities. Please click here for minimum age requirements. Research shows that volunteering helps teens gain/improve new abilities including leadership, communication skills, dependability, time management, and decision making. Teens engaging in community service have been shown to have higher self-esteem and improved resilience. Moreover, working with people from different cultures and ethnicity, reinforces the lesson that people the world over share common hopes and interests – that we are all far more alike than different.

Volunteering with your teenager can be a highlight of your relationship. Each of you can learn from and about each other in ways other experiences do not offer. Furthermore, your teen may well create life-long friendships with local youth who share their interests and experiences. Parents and guardians are expected to supervise their children/grandchildren and collaborate with our team leader and local partners to maximize the service experience for everyone.

To ensure a positive experience for everyone, you must comply with Global Volunteers’ minor supervision policy.

Group Opportunities

Imagine your group here!

Global Volunteers’ USA service-learning programs provide meaningful and stimulating volunteering opportunities for groups of students, professionals, educators, employees, and like-minded people. Because of our on-going relationship with our community partners, every member of your group can fully engage their unique skills and interests in meaningful service. We work with you to customize your program to learn about each other in a non-traditional way as an intact volunteer team. With advanced preparation, you can be certain that your unique contributions on genuine development projects advance the futures of those you serve.

Many groups return year after year to our programs to serve the local people and further understand the history, language, culture, and modern life in a decidedly “non-tourist” manner.

Opportunities for high school and college groups

Read details on group volunteering:

“We just wanted to come and embrace and welcome people to their new country and we felt this was such a beautiful place to be.”

Chrimson CrabtreeTexas Volunteer

Proyecto Azteca was established in 1991 in the spirit of Cesar Chavez as a means of respond to the housing crisis in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley colonias located in Hidalgo County.

The children consider themselves “los olvidados,” the forgotten ones, who live with social, economic, health and political oppression.

Texas has both the largest number of colonias – substandard housing communities – and the largest colonia population -approximately 400,000 residents. More than 75 percent of colonia residents were born in the U.S. and 85 percent are U.S. citizens.

A colonia is a neighborhood of 30-200 homes outside of the normal city structure, often without public utilities such as sewer, water, paved roads, garbage collection etc. 81% of people in colonias are food insecure.

Proyecto Azteca is one of some 35 organizations in Hidalgo County addressing housing, health and education needs for under-served area residents.

About Global Volunteers in Texas.

Be The Change.

Through important, full-day volunteer assignments and free-time activities, you learn about culture and the significant ways you improve children’s and families’ lives. Our time-tested and proven philosophy of service ensures your efforts help advance the host community’s development vision and goals. You contribute to genuine community-based projects, and in doing so, you’re accepted as family. Our commitment to engage short-term volunteers on long-term community projects in partnership with local people enables you, in just a short time, to serve as a critical link in a chain of volunteer support spanning three decades.