Are you looking for a way to do something positive on your annual vacations? A volunteer vacation is a wonderful way to spend quality family time while doing something meaningful. These popular destinations also include options for relaxation and entertainment, which you can enjoy when you’re not busy volunteering. Read about these exciting destinations and available timeshare resorts below.

Kissimmee, Florida

While Kissimmee is synonymous with theme parks and entertainment, it is also home to the Give the Kids the World Village. This nonprofit storybook-themed resort provides cost-free, fantasy vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Volunteers fulfill hundreds of volunteer shifts on a daily basis. Shifts include things like assisting with pony rides, running a merry-go-round, and scooping ice cream. Take a break from the thrills and theme parks to bring some happiness to others—and make meaningful memories as a family.

Holiday Inn Vacations Club at Orange Lake is a beautiful family-oriented resort and is the perfect place to stay during your volunteer vacation in Kissimmee. Between volunteer shifts, relax in a spacious studio, villa, or suite. The resort also features three pool complexes, an 80-acre lake with watersports, and four championship golf courses. Orange Lake Resort is located near the area’s major theme parks and will provide you with luxurious accommodations on your annual Kissimmee volunteer vacation.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Although it’s been several years since Hurricane Katrina hit, New Orleans still needs help recovering. The Youth Rebuilding New Orleans (YRNO) organization allows kids from the age of 12 to work alongside their parents rebuilding distressed and foreclosed homes. The finished homes are sold to teachers in order to stabilize neighborhoods and promote education. Working with YRNO is a fantastic family volunteer vacation, as watching another family move into the house you’ve worked so hard on will leave you with an unforgettable feeling.

If you love spending your volunteer vacation in New Orleans, stay at a timeshare at the Wyndham Avenue Plaza. This sophisticated timeshare resort is situated in the Garden District, away from the crowds but close enough to the French Quarter that you can easily enjoy its delicious cuisine and entertainment. Stay in a spacious studio, one-, or two-bedroom suite including a full kitchen. On-site amenities include a rooftop sundeck and hot tub, pool, fitness center. You can even pamper yourself at the resort’s spa or enjoy a fine meal at the on-site restaurant after a busy day of volunteering.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is known for its stunning beaches and lush rainforests, which make it one of the world’s most popular destinations for volunteer tourism. Participate in one of the country’s conservation programs, which offer amazing opportunities to work with endangered species and learn about their habitats. Volunteer programs include rainforest preservation, marine turtle conservation, and jaguar conservation. As a volunteer, you can prepare hatcheries, patrol the beaches, mark trails, assist with general maintenance, and conduct research about the habitats of the endangered wildlife. Give back to the Earth by volunteering in beautiful Costa Rica.

Return to this splendid country annually with a Villas Sol Playa Hermosa timeshare, located in Costa Rica’s popular province of Guanacaste. This elegant resort has a Gold Crown rating from RCI and offers spacious suites with full kitchens. Guests will enjoy on-site amenities like beach access, a restaurant, live entertainment, a pool, and a spa. The Villas Sol Playa Hermosa is the perfect place to relax after long days of volunteer work.

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

For a tropical getaway that also allows you to contribute something meaningful, head to the U.S. Virgin Islands. St. John, the smallest of the Virgin Islands, is widely regarded as the most beautiful. It is also home to the Virgin Islands National Park. Visitors can volunteer with the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park and help maintain park trails and remove debris from beaches and coastlines. The Friends of Virgin Islands National Park constantly work to keep the island beautiful and in its natural state, and by volunteering you can be a part of this great cause.

Whether you love visiting this stunning island, or you are planning a one-time volunteer vacation, the Westin St. John Resort & Villas has your ideal accommodations. When you’re not busy volunteering, relax in your luxury villa equipped with a full kitchen and all the comforts of home, including a washer and dryer. Swim in the resort’s large outdoor pool, soak in one of the Jacuzzis, or dine at one of the on-site restaurants. If nothing else, be sure to soak up some sun on St. John’s pristine beaches!

There are plenty of good causes around the world. Regardless of how you contribute your time, one thing is certain on your volunteer vacation—you’ll come home feeling fulfilled and with memories to cherish for a lifetime!