Humanitarian Trips

Experience the joy of serving others as you help transform lives

Volunteers with Unto® humanitarian trips work with partners and churches in countries across the globe to serve people in need and express the kindness of Jesus. For more than 25 years, our expert trip leaders have taken more than 180 groups to 30 countries. Unto is the humanitarian ministry of Cru®.

Reasons to Join a Humanitarian Trip With Unto

  • You share physical aid and the hope of Jesus.
  • You grow closer to God.
  • You forge lasting relationships.
  • You learn to serve in a different culture.
  • You can receive the blessing of blessing others.

It Is Easy to Join an Unto Humanitarian Trip

Upcoming Humanitarian Trips

March 7-19, 2024

Middle East

Middle East Refugee Care Vision Clinic

Refugees have entered this Middle East country in staggering numbers, having left behind families, friends, and homes to seek peace and safety. Many lack basic necessities and care. Unto® field partners in the Middle East serve the local residents as well as the thousands of refugees by supplying items such as clothing, food, and school supplies. Unto humanitarian trip teams help with another serious need — vision impairment.

On this trip, you will travel to a country well known as a tourist travel destination and for its exceptional food. You will meet with refugees and residents one-to-one to assess vision needs and provide glasses. Through this project, you will have an incredible opportunity working with refugees to show the kindness of Jesus and help Unto field partners build ongoing relationships in these communities. In addition to providing glasses through our vision clinics, we will spend a few days in the capital city working to meet the needs of at risk people groups in crisis.

No medical experience is required. Trip participants will receive vision-testing training at the beginning of the trip.

April 18-30, 2024

Southeast Asia

Spring Southeast Asia Vision Clinics

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The prevalence of blindness and low vision in this Southeast Asian country is relatively high compared to other developing countries. Most of the causes of blindness and low vision are treatable or preventable. Landmines and other war-related injuries are a major cause of ocular injury.

You can help with this need by joining an Unto® vision clinic trip to tropical Southeast Asia. Through the clinic, you will help provide glasses to hundreds of people who need simple vision correction. You also will work alongside Unto partners, helping them expand their ministry through serving those in need.

You can help with this need by joining an Unto vision clinic trip to tropical Southeast Asia. Through the clinic, you will help provide glasses to hundreds of people who need simple vision correction. You also will work alongside Unto partners, helping them expand their ministry through serving those in need.

During the clinic, you will meet with local people one-to-one to assess their vision and provide glasses. As you spend time with them, you will have the opportunity to show them the kindness of Jesus.

Time is allotted for visiting local sites and enjoying Southeastern Asian culture.

No medical experience is required. At the beginning of the trip participants will receive training to test vision and fit eyeglasses.

April 30-May 13, 2024

Southeast Asia

Spring Southeast Asia Vision Clinics 2

The prevalence of blindness and low vision in this Southeast Asian country is relatively high compared to other developing countries. Most of the causes of blindness and low vision are treatable or preventable. Landmines and other war-related injuries are a major cause of ocular injury.

You can help with this need by joining an Unto® vision clinic trip to tropical Southeast Asia. Through the clinic, you will help provide glasses to hundreds of people who need simple vision correction. You also will work alongside Unto partners, helping them expand their ministry through serving those in need.

You can help with this need by joining an Unto vision clinic trip to tropical Southeast Asia. Through the clinic, you will help provide glasses to hundreds of people who need simple vision correction. You also will work alongside Unto partners, helping them expand their ministry through serving those in need.

During the clinic, you will meet with local people one-to-one to assess their vision and provide glasses. As you spend time with them, you will have the opportunity to show them the kindness of Jesus.

Time is allotted for visiting local sites and enjoying Southeastern Asian culture.

No medical experience is required. At the beginning of the trip participants will receive training to test vision and fit eyeglasses.

August 10-18, 2024

Suriname

Suriname Vision Clinic

Suriname is the smallest country in South America.  It is covered with beautiful tropical rainforest. Suriname gained it independence the Netherlands in 1975.  It is considered to be culturally caribbean.  Dutch is the official language, however creole based English is also spoken.

Be part of an Unto® volunteer trip that helps relieve suffering by providing eyeglasses to many with impaired vision.

The team will conduct eyeglass clinics in the city, as well as in nearby rural areas. During the clinics, as you will meet with individuals to provide basic vision testing and needed glasses, you will be able to demonstrate the kindness of Jesus. You might also have the opportunity to talk with students at the local university campus to share the hope of Jesus.

Accommodations will be camp style all woman in one dormitory and all men men in another one.

No experience is required. At the beginning of the trip, participants will receive training for vision testing and fitting eyeglasses.

March 30-April 6, 2024

El Salvador

El Salvador Spring Break Vision Clinics (Destino)

El Salvador — a land of beautiful beaches, sprawling coffee plantations, and lush rainforests — is the most densely populated country in Central America, with 40 percent of its population living in poverty. Be part of a Unto® volunteer trip that helps relieve suffering by providing eyeglasses to many with impaired vision.

As a student on this trip, you will travel to the nation’s capital, San Salvador. The team will conduct eyeglass clinics in the city as well as in nearby rural areas. In the clinics you will meet with individuals to provide glasses and demonstrate the kindness of Jesus. You also will have the opportunity to talk with students at the local university campus to share the hope of Jesus.

No experience is required. Trip participants will receive training for eyeglass fittings at the beginning of the trip.

Students only. This trip can accommodate a maximum of 15 people.

May 17 - June 2, 2024

Zambia

Zambia Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Summer Mission

Are you passionate about helping people gain access to clean water and basic hygiene? Around 2 billion people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water and approximately 2.3 billion people lack basic hygiene services, including soap and water at home.

Unto is the humanitarian ministry of Cru and serves in the toughest places on earth to relieve suffering, restore dignity, and reveal the hope of Jesus. One way we do this is through our Clean Water Program.

Over half of Zambia’s population resides in rural areas and less than 50 percent of the rural population have basic access to a safe water source. By joining the WASH Summer Mission with Unto®, you have the opportunity to participate in a project to install solar powered remote monitoring systems on existing hand pumps. The team will also participate in repairing non-functioning pumps and providing basic hygiene training.

In addition to the field work, you will explore ways to integrate ministry into your career as you spend time with local Cru® staff members sharing the hope of Jesus with people in Zambia.

May 19 - June 21, 2024

Greece

Greece Refugee Care Summer Mission

In recent years, news broadcasts have been filled with stories of violence in the Middle East resulting in a refugee crisis. Men, women, and children flee from their homes, jobs, and friends, hoping to escape war and find safety. More than 1 million refugees traveled through Turkey, piled into small, overcrowded rubber boats, and faced the dangerous journey across the Aegean Sea to the shores of Greece. They hoped to pass through the islands and continue into Europe and beyond.

However, most European countries have closed their borders leaving those seeking asylum trapped in camps — unable to travel to a new destination and powerless to return home.

You can help relieve suffering, restore dignity and reveal the hope of Jesus to struggling refugees by traveling with Unto, Cru’s humanitarian branch, to a camp in Greece.

You will serve refugees by distributing aid, working in Men’s and Women’s community centers, playing with the kids and doing work around the camp.

May 31 - June 22, 2024

Colombia

Colombia Women’s Health Summer Mission

Women around the world face many physical, social, and spiritual challenges. In some cases, women are told little about their health, even to the point of becoming pregnant and giving birth without understanding what is happening to their bodies. Some women are uneducated; perhaps because their families won’t allow it, many lack feminine hygiene products so they miss a week of school every month and eventually drop out. And some women are silenced, oppressed; prevented from sharing their thoughts and coerced into believing someone else’s. Even with all of this going against them, we still believe that women are the key to a healthier society, as the ones who often raise a family and nurture a community. We seek to follow Jesus’ examples throughout Scripture, as he sees women and treats them with the dignity ascribed to them as ones created in the image of God.

You can help bring physical and spiritual healing to marginalized women by joining the Unto Women’s Health Summer Mission trip. In partnership with National Cru staff and their partners, you will participate in teaching health education workshops that provide life saving information, while building relationships that lead to Gospel conversations. When you participate in this trip, you help to share the kindness of Jesus in incredibly tough places by relieving suffering, restoring dignity, and revealing hope.

The Unto Women’s Health Summer Mission trip is open to female students with health related majors who have completed approximately two semesters with clinical rotation. Female students of other majors may be considered providing they have a medical/science background with some clinical knowledge and experience. Please still reach out if you’re interested but don’t quite meet this criteria yet…we’d love to talk more and see if this would be a good fit for you!

June 9 - June 23, 2024

Lancaster, PA

Lancaster, PA Humanitarian Ministry Summer Mission

May, 2024

Central Asia

Central Asia Vision Clinics

Imagine being unable to see the faces of your family or being unable to work because you cannot see well enough to read. In Central Asia more than 1 million people live with untreated vision impairment. You can help solve this problem for many of them by providing a simple pair of glasses, and at the same time point them to Jesus.

By joining Unto® as a member of this team, you will travel to mountainous Central Asia to host an eyeglass clinic. At the clinic you will meet with local people one-on-one to assess their vision and provide glasses. During this time, you will have the opportunity to show them the love of Jesus.

Through this project, our field partners will be able to build relationships with families and show them Christ’s love and hope.

No medical experience is required. Trip participants will receive training for eyeglass fittings at the beginning of the trip.

 

 

June, 2024

Guatemala

Guatemala Vision Clinic

Guatemala-

During the 10th century, a complex network of trade routes turned Mayan cities into commercial and spiritual hubs. Guatemala still has that mystique today in historic cities like Antigua. However, in the capital, Guatemala City, the effects of the 36-year-long civil war (1960-1996) still can be felt, causing Guatemala to be one of the poorest countries in Central America.

Be part of an Unto® volunteer trip that helps relieve suffering by providing eyeglasses to many with impaired vision.

The team will conduct eyeglass clinics in the city, as well as in nearby rural areas. During the clinics, as you meet with individuals to provide basic vision testing and needed glasses, you will be able to demonstrate the kindness of Jesus. You also will have the opportunity to talk with students at the local university campus to share the hope of the gospel.

No experience is required. At the beginning of the trip, participants will receive training for vision testing and fitting eyeglasses.

 

June 20 - July 12, 2024

Guatemala

Guatemala Agriculture Summer Mission

Are you passionate about the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20) as well as natural sciences, community development and sustainability?

Within the Humanitarian aid world, the concern is are we creating sustainable communities or dependency problems.

Unto is the humanitarian branch of Cru, an international ministry that creates movements everywhere, so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus . Unto serves in the toughest places on earth to relieve suffering, restore dignity, and reveal the hope of Jesus. One of the ways we do this is through agriculture workshops.

We serve farmers of all scales and backgrounds, coming alongside them by relieving food insecurity, empowering people through agricultural education, and revealing hope. Our workshops include components such as raised garden beds, composting, nutrition, drip irrigation kits, and pest management. We also include other content in our workshops considering what the specific community needs help with.

You can help relieve the suffering of people in Guatemala who struggle to make a living as subsistence farmers. The biggest challenges for Guatemalan farmers are changing markets, commercialized competition, and poor agro-practices. By joining the Agriculture Summer Mission with Unto®, you have the opportunity to teach communities about how they can increase their yield, and farm more sustainably. You will see firsthand the practical and spiritual impact your agriculture, soil science, or natural science passion/education can have on a community.

In addition to participating workshops, you will explore ways to integrate ministry into your career as you spend time with local Cru® staff members, and local students sharing the hope of Jesus with people in the heart of Guatemala. We will perform four-day workshops in villages, teaching families techniques to grow more while restoring soil for future generations.

Applications are open to all students, both Quarter or Semester schools! Click apply to submit an application to join us this summer in Guatemala!

*Please note that your support goal covers your international flight, but the cost of your travel to the team departure airport will be your responsibility. If you raise extra support, you are able to submit a form to be reimbursed for some or all of your personal payment for this expense. The application deadline is Monday, April 1st, 2024.*

July 25 - August 6, 2024

Southeast Asia

Summer Southeast Asia Vision Clinics

The prevalence of blindness and low vision in this Southeast Asian country is relatively high compared to other developing countries. Most of the causes of blindness and low vision are treatable or preventable. Landmines and other war-related injuries are a major cause of ocular injury.

You can help with this need by joining an Unto® vision clinic trip to tropical Southeast Asia. Through the clinic, you will help provide glasses to hundreds of people who need simple vision correction. You also will work alongside Unto partners, helping them expand their ministry through serving those in need.

You can help with this need by joining an Unto vision clinic trip to tropical Southeast Asia. Through the clinic, you will help provide glasses to hundreds of people who need simple vision correction. You also will work alongside Unto partners, helping them expand their ministry through serving those in need.

During the clinic, you will meet with local people one-to-one to assess their vision and provide glasses. As you spend time with them, you will have the opportunity to show them the kindness of Jesus.

Time is allotted for visiting local sites and enjoying Southeastern Asian culture.

No medical experience is required. At the beginning of the trip participants will receive training to test vision and fit eyeglasses.

 

 

 

October 12-20, 2024

Honduras

Honduras Vision Clinic (Central Church members)

In the past Honduras was developed by the Mayas before Spanish colonization.  It is now a predominantly Spanish speaking and Roman Catholic.  It is in Central America and it is rich in natural resources.  They produce coffee, tropical fruit and sugar cane.

Be part of an Unto® volunteer trip that helps relieve suffering by providing eyeglasses to many with impaired vision.

The team will conduct eyeglass clinics in the city, as well as in nearby rural areas. During the clinics, as you will meet with individuals to provide basic vision testing and needed glasses, you will be able to demonstrate the kindness of Jesus. You also will have the opportunity to talk with students at the local university campus to share the hope of Jesus.

No experience is required. At the beginning of the trip, participants will receive training for vision testing and fitting eyeglasses.

Lives Are Changed

Frequently Asked Questions

Participants from 16 to 80 years old and of all skill levels may take part in Unto trips. Volunteers with a personal relationship with Jesus and with sound health are welcome. Not all trips will be suitable for youth because of the type of work required or the emotional toll they may take. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent. Some trips may require more specialized skills, such as medical training. If special skills are required, this information will be mentioned in the trip description.

Team size depends on the destination and the trip strategy. Teams can be as small as four people or as large as 40.

The trip cost includes all in-country transportation, shared hotel or dormitory accommodations, three meals a day (plus drinking water), interpreter services, in-country visa fees, emergency evacuation assistance, and all taxes, tips, and fees.

The trip cost does not typically include airfare, pre-trip visa fees (if required), passport costs, immunizations, medications, baggage charges (unless you are asked to carry a bag of Unto aid), trip cancellation insurance, airport meals, or additional gifts or snacks you choose to bring.

No. We will plan travel and provide an airline itinerary for you through our travel agents. Then we will send you the information to contact the agent and purchase your ticket. Through the travel agent, you will be able to arrange both your domestic and international travel. Arranging travel in this way lowers flight costs and allows you to book “through” travel straight from your home airport while still traveling with the team internationally.

Trip participants and their supporters can pay by credit card through the participant’s giving page or by phone. Payments can also be made by check. All payments and donations are tax-deductible and non-refundable.

All contributions to Unto are income tax deductible and are made with the understanding that Unto has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. Should you not go on the trip, or should more funds than needed be raised, we will consult with you to determine if the money will be held in your account for a future trip, be used for other expenses associated with the trip, or be given as a general donation to Unto Humanitarian Trips.

Your trip leader’s primary responsibility is the safety of the team. We are in touch with the U.S. State Department on all trips and are alert to changes in safety and security while overseas. While we do live in a complex world, Unto trips do not include what we consider unnecessary risks, either in locations visited or activities implemented.

We work to make sure all trips are as safe as possible. All Unto trip leaders are experienced in international ministry and trained in crisis management and CPR/first aid. At all times a crisis manager is on call in the states, and contingency plans are in place before all trips begin. Emergency evacuation coverage and supplemental health coverage are included in the cost of your trip.

In most cases the entire team will meet at the international departure airport in the U.S. and fly together to the destination country. Most trips require no pre-trip preparation or meetings as a team. If a trip does require pre-trip preparation, the team leader will provide this information before accepting you for the trip. Some trip leaders may schedule a group call before the trip for team introductions. Your trip leader will be in touch with you on an ongoing basis as you prepare for the trip.

Accommodations will vary depending on the country. Usually teams stay in a hotel or guest house chosen or recommended by our national hosts. Rooms are generally shared by two people of the same gender or by spouses. If you prefer a room to yourself, a single supplement fee will be charged.

In the areas where Unto serves, it is usually not possible to make accommodations for special dietary needs.

All available trips are listed on the website. If you do not see a trip that works for you, you can contact trips@unto.com to receive updates in the future. New trips are added all the time.

You can contact the trips department by emailing trips@unto.com.