We take every reasonable precaution to keep volunteers safe and healthy in the host community. However, there are inherent risks and dangers that could arise when participating on a Global Volunteers service program. These include, but are not limited to, travel on dangerous roads, different hygienic standards; infrastructure problems (including road maintenance, transportation delays and accommodation conditions); forces of nature, geographic/climate conditions; civil unrest or terrorism; travel by motorcycle, bicycle, train, foot, automobile, aircraft, raft, boat, bus, van or other conveyance the hazards of traveling in mountainous terrain, high altitude, undeveloped areas; and accident or illness in remote regions without means of rapid evacuation or availability of medical supplies and facilities.

Medical services or facilities may not be readily during all or part of a service program, and if available, may not be equal to standards in your home community. What you consider as a normal level of medical treatment, including the presence of a physician or any other trained health-care professional and/or the availability of prescription-type drugs, may not be possible. Furthermore, a sense of urgency, attention to detail, standards of quality, hygiene, political stability, cuisine, sanitation facilities, cleanliness, level of infrastructural development, telecommunication facilities, methods of conducting business, medical evacuation, etc., may be deemed unsatisfactory and/or not equivalent to those found in your home country. Emergency medical evacuation insurance is included in your service program fee to assist with these circumstances.

If you're hearing the question, "You're going where?" from family and friends, you're not alone. While our volunteers rarely let world headlines keep them from their destinations, their loved ones back home often need extra reassurance.

Over 25 years of sending more than 25,000 people to world locales, Global Volunteers has maintained an enviable safety record. This is because in all our staff training, we emphasize that "safety trumps everything."

Most important, Global Volunteers always observes travel warnings issued by the U.S. State Department, even if it means canceling a program. We will notify you immediately if a team you are scheduled for is cancelled and explain your options for future participation.

Further, we work to protect your safety when you are in the host community, either in the U.S. or abroad. Here's what you can count on with every service program:

• Our team leaders participate in annual comprehensive training, which includes CPR and first-aid certification, and protocols for managing personal and national emergencies.
  
• Where it is advisable, we register all team members with the local embassies or consulates.
  
• Volunteers serving outside of the U.S. are covered by emergency medical evacuation insurance.
  
• Global Volunteers' headquarters emergency contact is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Food, lodging and transportation arranged for volunteer teams are done in a manner to maximize health and safety.  
  

Other facts to consider: The host communities we serve rarely become involved in political unrest. Because volunteers travel as representatives of Global Volunteers, not as "tourists," team members are accepted as "friends" who are afforded an extra measure of safety. Additionally, volunteers work together as a team, and never need be alone in the host community. We go out of our way to provide peace of mind to volunteers traveling alone.

If you're considering joining a service program, but are concerned about your security on site, contact us for current information about your host community. We can also refer you to experienced travel agents to advise you about airline strikes or interruptions.

For up-to-the-minute information on immunizations and infectious diseases, you can refer to the website for the Center for Disease Control for the latest information about suggested immunizations and travel advice.

Overall, be aware that the headlines can overstate or exaggerate reality. Be a world-wise traveler, but don't let the headlines keep you from experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime Adventure in Service."

.