Visit a Project

Thank you for your interest in the projects of Homes of Hope International. Please note that all correspondence concerning visiting HOHI projects should be addressed to contact@homesofhopeint.com. We are glad to have volunteers and interested visitors visit our projects.

Short term project visitors

• Those visiting our project, unless traveling with a parent or team, should be at least 18 years old.
• A request to visit initiates an invitation process.
• As part of that process, you will be asked to supply a reference, and you will need to complete an application form from us.
• We do appreciate your patience in not making final plans to visit a project until you have received an invitation from us.
• All visitors are required to complete a police check. The costs are $43.00 for each National Police Check application for an individual. Please click on this link for details http://www.afp.gov.au/what-we-do/police-checks/national-police-checks.aspx.
• Organising visitors to our projects and carrying out due process takes time. Therefore, to assist us, please complete and sign the following form 'Volunteer/student worker declaration' which can be accessed via https://check.kids.nsw.gov.au/#are-you-volunteer and return it to our PO box. This form should be accompanied by a written character reference from your employer or other suitable referee (i.e. a pastor, someone who has known you for more than 12 months and/or a manager/supervisor from a previous volunteering experience).
• We require that you come with emergency medical insurance in place. This is essential for all who visit or work with a HOHI project whether for a few days or several months. You will need to pay the premiums and be sure you have enough money available to cover the deductible amount. It is important that you check with your travel agent or insurer to verify the extent and nature of your coverage.

Project volunteers

If you would like to work in a project:

• Those volunteering to work in a HOHI project, unless traveling with a parent or team, should be at least 18 years old.
• A request to visit initiates an invitation process.
• You need to be supportive of Christian values.
• We ask that first-time visitors plan on limiting their visit to 1-2 weeks.
• You will need to supply a pastoral reference, a copy of your personal Christian testimony, and a clear statement of your vision for ministry or hopes and goals for working with a HOHI project. We will read your information and pray about how God may plan to use you. We do appreciate your patience in waiting to make final plans to come until you have received an invitation from us.
• All volunteers are required to complete a police check. The costs are $43.00 for each National Police Check application for an individual. Please click on this link for details http://www.afp.gov.au/what-we-do/police-checks/national-police-checks.aspx.
• Please complete and sign the following form 'Volunteer/student worker declaration' which can be accessed via https://check.kids.nsw.gov.au/#are-you-volunteer and return it to our PO box. This form should be accompanied by a written character reference from your employer or other suitable referee (i.e. a pastor, someone who has known you for more than 12 months and/or a manager/supervisor from a previous volunteering experience).
• We require that you come with emergency medical insurance in place. This is essential for all who visit or work with a HOHI project whether for a few days or several months. You will need to pay the premiums and be sure you have enough money available to cover the deductible amount. It is important that you check with your travel agent or insurer to verify the extent and nature of your coverage.

Thank you again for your interest in what HOHI and our partners are doing. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your further questions. We will do our best to provide reliable answers to your questions and help you in any way possible.

Steps to apply to visit or volunteer with HOHI

We do not have an application form as such. Rather, it's a process by which you tell us about yourself and your interest in visiting a HOHI project and we invite you to do so after evaluation of your information.

If volunteering please have your pastor send us a reference directly to our email address contact@homesofhopeint.com. It need not be lengthy, but it should include his or her reflections on your Christian walk and any significant involvements you may have in your church. Also, it should include a brief assessment of your suitability for a short-term missions experience in a third world project. (Your pastor should visit the HOHI web site at if he/she is not familiar with HOHI. He or she should take note of the information here for prospective visitors, and should comment in that light.)

You should write separately to share your personal testimony and your vision/goals/hopes for a visit to a HOHI project, i.e., tell us what you would anticipate doing in a particular project, and what you bring in terms of gifts and abilities.

Please also suggest approximate dates for your visit.

We will get back to you as quickly as possible once we have received your information.

Information for Visitors

You will find it helpful to make a hard copy of the following visitor guidelines and use it as part of your check list before departure.

• Visas
  
  Visas may be required depending on the project. Please contact your travel agent for details. To apply for a visa, you will need a passport with at least 6 months remaining after your intended return home, as well as your flight itinerary and 2 passport-size pictures. When you receive your visa, please check carefully the details of what has actually been issued.
• Expenses/currency
  
  Your expenses depend on you, and you are responsible for all expenses incurred by your visit, such as transport, food, accommodation etc. PLEASE NOTE: HOHI is a charity and our partners are charity organizations with very limited budgets. Many of our visitors are very generous, both financially and through gifts and supplies they donate to HOHI projects. We would ask that all donations be given directly to HOHI to be passed on to the project you wish to help. Other supplies can be taken with you to the project at your own expense. Contact HOHI for an up to date list of project needs.
• Health needs
  
  Please check with your doctor what vaccines are required for the country you are visiting. You should be up-to-date on standard vaccines - but please check with your doctor. Err on the side of caution. Depending on the country/project you may need to bring a mosquito net to sleep under. Some hang from the ceiling others are on a frame with tight mesh, like a tent. Walrus Tents makes a good one called Bug Hut 2. You also may need to bring strong bug repellent which contains a high level of DEET (30-100%).
• What to pack
  
  Clothing: Dress in a way that is acceptable and modest in the culture you are visiting. Contact HOHI for more specific info. The weather is warm-hot year round, but evenings will get cool (especially during the winter months--June through August), so bring a light sweater or jacket.
  
  Important Note: HOHI and our project partners cannot and do not guarantee your safety, health, or comfort. We work in underdeveloped countries, in unpredictable conditions. You will not have the full attention of any staff or translators. Please plan on being as self-reliant as possible.
  
  Please take note of the contact details below and be sure to advise us if there are any last-minute changes to your travel plans.
  
  Email: contact@homesofhopeint.com;
  HOHI Contact Numbers: +61 (0)2 8665 7972; and
  In an Emergency, Greg Beech, CEO: +61 (0)411 124 371.