HHI is a Christian missions nonprofit based in Medford, Oregon, serving for over 20 years. Our mission is simple: Bringing Help and Hope to Hurting People. We serve in three ways:

• Africa ministries — child sponsorship, feeding, education, and economic programs in Kenya.
• Supporting long-term missionaries and local churches worldwide — when a partner has a need they can't meet alone, we mobilize volunteers, raise support, and travel to help complete the work.
• Local projects — serving churches and Christ-centered nonprofits here at home, including Southern Oregon Makeover.

Yes. HHI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 20-2906575). Gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

We serve alongside ministry partners in:

• Unalakleet, Alaska
• Soldotna, Alaska
• San Francisco, California
• Southern Oregon
• Vicente Guerrero, Mexico
• Monterrey, Mexico
• Guatemala
• North Africa
• Rakwaro, Kenya
• Nairobi, Kenya
• Nepal
• India

And we're always exploring new ministry partners. See our Volunteer page for current trips.

It's a chance to serve alongside local ministry partners who are already doing the work year-round. We don't show up with our own agenda — we come under local leadership, help with what they've asked for, build relationships, and go home changed. Depending on the trip, that may include construction, feeding programs, Vacation Bible School, dental or medical ministry, or serving missionaries directly.

No. The volunteers who fit HHI best are teachable, willing to work, ready to listen, and eager to serve with humility. Some people build, some organize, some encourage. It doesn't take a special skill set — it takes a willing heart.

Individuals, families, youth groups, schools, and whole churches. Team members should generally be at least 15 years old — contact us about exceptions. Anyone under 18 traveling without both parents needs a notarized Minor Consent to Travel form.

Most international trips run 7–14 days (Kenya, for example, is about two weeks). Domestic and local trips are often 3–5 days.

We handle: ground transportation, lodging, meals, travel insurance, coordination with our local ministry partner, project plans and tools, and an experienced, trained Team Leader.

You handle (with direct oversight and help from your Team Leader): your airfare, passport (and visa if required), paperwork deadlines — and showing up ready to pray and love people well.

Costs vary by destination and trip length. The trip fee covers food, lodging, in-country transportation, travel insurance, translators, general supplies, and ministry-related expenses. Current pricing is listed on each trip page.

No. Each team member purchases their own ticket. Your Team Leader identifies the best flight itinerary, and the team books together at the second team meeting (about two months before departure) so everyone travels on the same flights.

Yes — and we encourage it. HHI processes trip payments and fundraising gifts through Givebutter, so friends and family can give toward your trip online.

A non-refundable deposit holds your spot. The remaining balance is due one month before departure so funds can be sent to our ministry partner in advance.

The initial deposit is non-refundable because it covers planning costs already incurred. Trip fees are calculated by dividing shared costs (lodging, transportation, etc.) across the team, so a full refund can't be guaranteed for late cancellations. A partial refund may be possible depending on which costs can be recovered.

Your team meets three times before departure to pray together, build unity, and walk through a trip-specific Volunteer Manual covering culture, packing, customs, and what to expect. We also recommend Serving with Eyes Wide Open (Livermore), Foreign to Familiar (Lanier), and Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions (Corbett & Fikkert).

A volunteer application, a passport valid at least 6 months past your return date, a visa if the country requires one, a signed liability release, a health information form, and medical consent (adults) or notarized minor consent (under 18). Your Team Leader will walk you through each one.

Yes, on every trip — and it's included in your trip fee. Coverage applies to the destination and includes a 24-hour assistance line. For higher-risk destinations, it also covers medical evacuation.

Usually, yes. A health condition isn't disqualifying on its own — it just needs to be shared with HHI before tickets are purchased so we can plan well with you and your host.

Please check with us first. We ask teams not to hand out candy or toys en masse, and not to give personal gifts (cash, electronics, etc.) to individuals — it can create challenges for our hosts after the team leaves. If you're bringing donated supplies, we can provide a donation letter for customs.

Stay with the group, respect the host ministry's authority (the team goes home; they stay in the community), and no smoking, alcohol, or drugs at any time during the trip. We remember that people are reading our behavior closely — we're "living letters" to believers and non-believers alike.

You'll need to arrange that directly with the ministry partner in advance. HHI can't provide lodging or transportation support after the official trip ends.

Choose a trip on our Volunteer page and join the waitlist, or reach out to Tim at tim@helpinghandsint.com or 541-622-3784.

Safety is built into every trip:

• Every trip is led by a trained, vetted HHI Team Leader with authority to pause activities or change plans at any time.
• Every team is enrolled in the U.S. State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
• Every team member carries travel insurance, and HHI keeps copies of key documents and emergency contacts.
• Our local partners — who know the ground best — confirm current conditions before each trip.
• Every trip runs on a written emergency response and communication plan with a clear line between the field and the HHI office.

We check the current advisory for the specific region — not just the country — before every trip. Destinations rated Level 3 ("Reconsider Travel") carry additional requirements, including regular check-ins with HHI while in the field, evacuation-inclusive insurance, a written safety assessment from our partner within 72 hours of departure, and pre-planned exit routes. When conditions aren't right, we postpone — we'll always choose people over plans.

Before departure, your Team Leader will explain the team's trip-to-home communication plan to you and your family. HHI stays in contact with the team throughout the trip and confirms safe arrival and safe return.

Kenya is HHI's longest-running ministry, and most of it happens year-round — not just when a team visits:

• Child Sponsorship — daily care, meals, education, and Bible teaching for more than 200 students.
• Feeding program — more than 1,600 people fed every Saturday in the slums of Nairobi, for many their one full meal of the week.
• College & Trade School Scholarships — launched in 2021 to help students move from school into careers.
• Women's savings and loan program — helping women build financial stability for their families.
• Teachers and tutoring — supporting five teachers in public schools, plus tutoring programs.
• Clean water — the Rakwaro well project, restoring safe water access for more than 200 families.

Nairobi — Mcedo Beijing School, Bethany Education Centre, and Destiny Junior Academy. Rakwaro — a remote village near Lake Victoria, home to Christian Dream School. Kakamega — the Amati Center for Orphans.

Local leaders. HHI employs 12 staff members in Kenya, working alongside a long-term missionary on-site. We believe the people who live in a community are best positioned to serve it well for the long haul.

Visit sponsored children and schools, help with dental camps, teach Bible lessons, worship at local churches, and spend time with the students and families we serve. Teams stay in local hotels and travel by Land Cruiser. Most trips close with a safari and a visit to the elephant orphanage.

Sponsors give monthly to cover a child's education, meals, and discipleship. Your support keeps going long after any trip ends — the steady, weekly work is where lasting change happens.

Writing your sponsored child: Scan a handwritten letter or simply type one out, and email it to Crissy Christian, our Director of Kenya Ministries, at crissy@helpinghandsint.com (541-538-8902).

Sending gifts: Gifts go once a year when a team travels to Kenya. We'll email all sponsors clear instructions ahead of time.

Learn more on our Sponsorship page.

Local churches, missionaries, and ministries already rooted in their communities. Current partners include:

• YWAM Vicente Guerrero (Mexico)
• Homes of Hope Monterrey (Mexico)
• YWAM San Francisco
• MARC Alaska
• Covenant Bible of Alaska
• ASELSI Guatemala
• Hope Church India
• Nepal pastors
• North Africa Missions
• Our schools and local ministry team in Kenya

Because the host stays when the team goes home. We serve with missionaries and local leaders, not around them. They set the priorities; we come alongside to help with what they can't do alone.

Real change happens through faithful obedience over many years — not in two weeks. There are so many amazing ministries around the world that just need a little extra help and encouragement, and that's the role we fill.

That's also why more than 90% of the funds we receive go directly to support our ministry partners, trips, and projects.

Carefully, and over time. New partnerships usually begin with referrals from partners we already trust. Each potential partner is evaluated for:

• Theological alignment — a shared, Christ-centered mission.
• On-the-ground infrastructure — the capacity to host, house, and feed teams.
• Safety practices — clear safety protocols and an accurate read on local conditions.
• Track record and accountability — a proven history of faithful ministry and transparent finances.

The process includes video calls, reference checks, and an in-person scouting trip by HHI leadership. We then run a small pilot trip before adding a partner to our full calendar.

More than 90% of the funds we receive go directly to support our ministry partners, trips, and projects. Trip fees and gifts go only through vetted partners with whom we have long-term relationships, and Team Leaders track every receipt in the field and return unused funds to HHI after each trip.

Absolutely — it's one of our favorite ways to serve. A single church or school trip can mobilize anywhere from 5 to 100 people and grow into a partnership that lasts for years. We handle the logistics and partner relationships so you can focus on your people. Contact us to start a conversation about your mission vision.

9–12 months for international trips. That leaves room for passports, fundraising, and team preparation. We're already booking next year.

Yes. HHI trains and approves Team Leaders through a clear path: vetting by HHI staff, a shadow trip with an experienced leader, a final review, and formal training at our Medford office.

• Sponsor a child in Kenya.
• Give to a trip, the Rakwaro well, or general ministry.
• Pray for teams and partners.
• Serve locally through projects like Southern Oregon Makeover (free to join).
• Connect us with your church or school.

Tim Plankenhorn, Executive Director
tim@helpinghandsint.com · 541-622-3784

Crissy Christian, Director of Kenya Ministries
crissy@helpinghandsint.com · 541-538-8902

600 Whitman Pl, Medford, OR 97501