Volunteering in Costa Rica
Make a lasting impact on the community of Alajuelita! FIMRC's clinic serves as home base for all volunteers where you will work alongside our clinic team during daily operations and assist with innovative public health and psychological initiatives.
Your Schedule
The following is a sample itinerary of a one-week volunteer mission with Project Alajuelita. This itinerary has been made to provide a clear, general impression of the way volunteer time is spent. To ensure that a volunteer's work has the greatest, most relevant impact on the clinic and community, volunteer schedules are established upon a volunteer's arrival at the clinic.
Logistics
Housing
Volunteers are housed through FIMRC’s Homestay Program. Since the inception of Project Alajuelita, we have cultivated a network of Costa Rican families living in the town of Santa Ana, a comfortable suburb located about 20 minutes from the capital city of San Jose and about 30 minutes from the clinic site. Homestays all have wifi access and are located within walking distance of internet cafes, making it possible to communicate with friends and family at home. Volunteers are asked to indicate all housing preferences, including meal requests and allergies upon enrollment. All houses are clean and comfortable with western-style toilets and showers.
Transportation
All transportation is arranged by FIMRC and will be provided by a reputable transportation company. Upon arrival at the San Jose airport, volunteers are met by FIMRC’s Transportation Coordinator, who greets all volunteers and provides transportation to the homestay. FIMRC provides transportation between the homestays and clinic site during each volunteering day.
Meals
Three authentic home-cooked meals per day are provided by the host families. The meals tend to be traditional Costa Rican food and often include a mix of rice, beans and protein. A vegetable or salad is also often served on the side. Volunteers are welcome to dine elsewhere if they desire, but at their own expense. Volunteers with special dietary needs are able to indicate all requests upon enrolling in the volunteer program.
Trip Cost
The cost of your program includes the program donation that supports our project sites as well as housing, food, travel insurance & transportation once in country. Transportation includes airport pick up/drop off and transportation to/from the project site during volunteer days. Please note that in order to minimize risk and exposure to COVID-19 for the communities we serve, the trip cost for a week of volunteering is from Sunday to Saturday. For flights arriving/departing outside of these days, airport transportation is not covered in the trip costs and are the responsibility of the volunteer. Trips for non-volunteer related activities as well as the associated costs are also not included in the trip cost and are the responsibility of the volunteer.
By arranging lodging, food, and transport for you, we enable you to safely experience the local culture and focus your energy on the work you will be doing in the community!
The following cost structure reflects individual participation in the Global Health Volunteer Program at Project Alajuelita:
- Week-long price (Sunday to Saturday): $1499 for one week, including $250 deposit due within 2 weeks of enrolling to secure your spot.
- Discounts are available for groups, chapters, long-term (over 2 weeks) volunteers and for traveling during non-peak times. Feel free to ask!
For long-term volunteer experiences, contact missions@fimrc.org.
FAQ
How do I arrange my flights?
What travel documents do I need?
Do I need travel insurance?
What are additional costs to consider?
"In addition to working in many areas within the clinic, I spent much of my time in Costa Rica working on my own project with Mujeres Valientes, a group of middle-age women that come to the clinic every Thursday afternoon. This was the most rewarding part of my experience because I became really close with many of the women in the group."
- Megan E.
"I had the greatest learning experience as a volunteer at Project Alajuelita. I could see how dedicated and passionate about their work [the team is] everyday as they interact with the patients with great care and attention. I was definitely inspired by their actions and I also learned a lot through shadowing."
-Anonymous
Still unsure or have any questions before enrolling? Feel free to email [email protected] and our team will get back to you ASAP! We're happy to do informational sessions and calls upon request.
