This trip offers an international service experience in Palmira, Colombia.
Below are some important details about this upcoming trip.
Deadline to apply for this trip is April 21, 2025.
PARTNER SUPPORT
This team will serve the Fundación Centro Misionero de Esperanza (Hope Mission Center) and a variety of other local churches/pastors as we learn about their ministries and the impact they have in their community. During our time together team members will interact with ministry staff, local schools, and children and adults from the community that our partners serve. We will also provide financial and in-kind donations to further aid in their year-round ministries.
“Hope Mission Center is a non-profit organization designed to serve the communities of Palmira, Colombia.” HMC serves children by partnering with local churches and pastors who go into underserved communities to pray, distribute food, and connect through sport and other activities. Serving with HMC might include moments of prayer, attending Christian church services, listening to Bible teachings & worship, and participating in other religious focused experiences.
While we partner with faith-based organizations, it is not a requirement to adhere to a specific religion or belief to join us. We strive to provide an equal opportunity to all individuals interested in our service trips, hoping that each life will be uniquely transformed. That being said, we ask each participant to be respectful of each other and of our partners, and to remain open to conversing about the things that make us different as well as the commonalities that bring us together.
SPECIAL INFO
This is HFK’s second ever team to Colombia, our newest partner country! This year’s captains were a part of the first Colombia team which traveled in July 2024, and they are looking forward to reconnecting with and introducing you to the ministry staff and local children that they met last year. Learn more about last year’s trip to get an idea of what it might look like to travel with us to Colombia!
TEAM CAPTAINS
Your Team Captains for this trip will be Marissa Arnerich & Marcelino Perez. Here is a message from them:
Hi y'all! My name is Marissa and this will be my 5th trip with HFK and my 2nd trip to Colombia. I had such a great experience on my last trip to Colombia that I decided to lead a trip this year with my co-captain Marcelino.
I first learned about HFK while attending Saint Mary’s College of California in undergrad and this organization has been close to my heart ever since. I have been fortunate enough to serve in the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, and at home in the Bay Area.
Serving others, whether at home in the States or in a country you have never visited before, is such a special experience. It brings people together and creates a bond that is very unique. I am so excited to have the opportunity to serve with my team this upcoming summer!
-Marissa (& Marcelino)
HEALTH & SAFETY
Here For Kids strives to be diligent in protecting both our team members and the sites that we serve. HFK will purchase health insurance coverage for the duration of your trip and provide masks for you to wear during travel if desired.
To learn more about health & safety protocols, check out our FAQ’s here.
TIME COMMITMENT
Team members of this trip are expected to:
Attend two virtual pre-trip meetings with the team prior to traveling.
Participate in a week-long international service trip.
Depart June 21, 2025 & Return June 29, 2025.
Attend at least one virtual post-trip meeting with the team after returning.
PHYSICAL DONATIONS
On each of our service trips, we provide physical, or in-kind, donations to our partners. We encourage each participant to gather requested donation items as part of their trip preparation. Each international partner has different donation requests which will be communicated to you during pre-trip communication and meetings. We ask all trip participants to limit the packing of personal travel items to their carry-on bag and backpack so that partner donations can travel in any checked baggage.
You can learn more here.
FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
Below is the breakdown of the costs associated with this service trip. Once your application is accepted, you will be asked to pay a $200 deposit to secure your spot on the team. Then, you will be required to follow the funding milestones on your Go Method profile to stay up to date on your trip payments. The total trip payment is due no later than 14 days before the departure of your trip.
Breakdown of Cost:
$1,100 - Airfare and Baggage Fees
$650 - Partner Fee (Including accommodation, transportation, meals, service project funds)
$100 - HFK Operations & Care Package
$50 - Travel Insurance
$100 - In-Country Excursion
$2,000 Total Trip Cost
FUNDRAISING & SCHOLARSHIPS
All trip participants are encouraged to fundraise to complete their total trip cost. To aid you in this process we recommend creating a Personal Support Page on Go Method. Once created, you can share this page as a personal fundraising link with your friends, family, and community for support. We also provide a Fundraising Info Sheet and a Fundraising Letter Template to assist you in the fundraising process. These and other Service Trip Resources can be found here.
For this trip, in addition to fundraising, we are offering the following types of scholarships for team participants that need financial assistance to complete total trip payments.
15% Scholarship
30% Scholarship
You can apply for a scholarship during the application process. Scholarship funds are limited and will only be awarded to participants on an as-needed basis. All scholarship recipients will be required to write a “Donor Thank You Letter” upon returning from their trip.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Trip schedules may vary but typically include:
Working on service projects alongside our partners.
Engaging in nightly devotionals and bonding activities with your team.
Having fun with kids and partner staff through sports, games, and other activities.
Being present during moments of prayer and worship.
Spending time in self-reflection to promote spiritual growth.
Learning ways you can support partner sites beyond your time in country.
Exploring the beauty of the country you travel to during a park visit, beach day, hike, or other excursion activity.
To see what we have been up to on past trips, click here.
HOW TO APPLY
Click “Apply Today” below and on the next page.
Login OR create an account with Go Method.
Answer the application questions.
Deadline to apply for this trip is April 21, 2025.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
If you have any additional questions, please email info@hereforkids.org. You can also review our Frequently Asked Questions or Trip Recaps below.