How to Join Helping Hands International

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posted on 6 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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"Helping Hands International" is the name of several U.S.-based charities that may be worth supporting, as well as a recent pyramid/Ponzi scheme (also known as "H2i") that you should avoid at all costs. One of the largest (but still relatively small) U.S. charities by this name is a Christian organization based in Oregon that is committed to service abroad. If you join this Helping Hands International, you might serve at an orphanage in Guadalajara or help with infrastructure in a Kenyan village. You can also sponsor a child in need or donate to the organization through their website.

Steps

Serving Abroad

Pick a project. Helping Hands International always has several projects that you can join, spread throughout the year. Start by looking at the trip information for each project. Look at the cost and time period of each project to determine if it's right for you. Alternatively, choose a project that's close to your heart. For instance, you could build houses in Mexico, work at an orphanage in Guadalajara, or help with disaster relief.

Apply for a service opportunity. Fill out the short form on the website to get started with the process. All you need to fill out is your name and your email, as well as which project you'd like to join.

Save up for the trip. Each project costs money to join. The cost helps cover your travel expenses while you're away. Trips generally range from $400 to $1,000 USD, plus airfare as of 2018. If the costs are an issue for you, see if you can get people to sponsor your trip. Since it's a service trip, people may be willing to help with the costs, particularly if you're connected to a religious organization.

Apply for a passport and any needed visas. To travel to any other country, including Mexico, you'll need a passport. In some cases, you may also need a visa to travel to the country. To apply for a passport, fill out an application form, and then submit it with passport photos and your fee. You will also need to prove you're a citizen with documentation. To determine if you need a visa, check the country at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html.

Check for travel alerts and advisories before you go. The U.S. State Department puts out travel advisories for various countries around the world. It's important to check what advisories are listed for the country you're traveling to, so you can be prepared once you're there. You can search for the appropriate country at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html. You should also check that page for any vaccinations you may need before traveling.

Consider purchasing travel insurance. Having medical travel insurance is a good idea when traveling in any country without a good healthcare infrastructure. Look for insurance that will cover you being flown out of the country to be treated. You may also want travel insurance to cover things like missed flights, lost luggage, or other misadventures.

Take any essentials you may need with you. For instance, make sure you have enough of your prescription medications to last the trip. Take toiletries like sunscreen and shampoo with you just in case, so you don't have to make a special stop. Also, check to see if you need to take a filter for unsafe drinking water. Helping Hands International may be able to advise you on what you need to bring.

Sponsoring a Child

Choose a child from the sponsorship page. With this organization, you can choose which child you sponsor, though they are all from the same village in Kenya that Helping Hands supports. Read through the bios on this page, and pick your child: http://helpinghandsinternational.com/child-sponsorship/.

Pay the monthly sponsorship fee of $35 USD per month. The sponsorship fee gives the child at least 1 meal a day, schooling, and biblical teaching. It also helps the village itself, as Helping Hands is working to maintain a proper school and develop farming areas. You'll receive emails from your child as part of your sponsorship.

Consider a trip in the future. Though you don't have to, you can visit the village on a service trip. You'll be able to meet the child you sponsor and contribute to building infrastructure in the village.

Donating to the Organization

Navigate to the donation page on the website. Helping Hands International has a place where you can donate funds on their website. The webpage is at http://helpinghandsinternational.com/donate/.

Decide how much you want to donate. Any amount of money can help the organization, so don't worry if your donation is small. You can also decide if you want it to be a recurring donation, as a weekly, monthly, or yearly amount, or just a one-time donation.

Pick a project you'd like to help. If one of Helping Hands' projects is special to you, you can donate to that particular cause. If you just want to help the organization, you can donate to the general fund. The ongoing projects include the India Orphanage, the Dominican Republic Projects, the Mexico House Build, the Guadalajara Orphanage, the director's salary, well drilling in Kenya, and disaster relief.

Fill in your information. You'll need to include biographical information like your name and email. You can also enter your address and phone number, but that's not required. Once you submit this information, you can donate through PayPal, which is the only option for donations online.