Immersion Trips

Louisville

About Louisville

Looavul. Loueyville. Luhvul. Louisville.

We invite you to join us as we work on safety and accessibility projects so we can help people remain in their cherished homes in some of the oldest neighborhoods in our city. Whether you’re building a fence, a wheelchair ramp, or installing safety bars, our construction manager will guide you through the process.

If you choose to stay with us for a few days, we can introduce you to places like The Muhammad Ali Center, Churchill Downs, Louisville Slugger Museum, the Urban Bourbon Trail, Big Four Walking Bridge and other local cultural attractions.

The whole dynamic of the trip was well planned and it was all useful and valuable. I think the talks we [the group] had with the community advocates had the most impact on me as it made me realize that when I thought I knew a little about the social issues of the United States, I really didn’t understand how complex it was.

Bachir

University Student

Join Us for an Immersion Trip

Unique Service & Immersion Trip Opportunities

You can get a taste of our program with a day of service, or for a more complete experience we encourage an overnight or multi-night stay. Whichever option works best for you, works for us, and for the people seeking our assistance in our community.

Five-Night Immersion Trip

For a full Louisville immersion trip experience, we recommend a five-night trip. This is a great option for out-of-town groups who want to enjoy everything the city of Louisville has to offer.

You will participate in service projects during the day and have ample time to enjoy cultural activities in the evenings. These retreats are ideal for university teams looking for an alternative break or summer youth groups.

Five-night immersion costs $500 per participant, with a maximum group size of 12. We provide breakfast and lunch each day, plus two evening meals.

Overnight/Multi-Night Trip Experience

For those who live near Louisville and are seeking an immersion experience, we invite you to join us for a night or two. We have a beautifully renovated retreat center on the second story of our Louisville office building.

You will work on a community project in the morning and early afternoon. Your late afternoon will include a walking or driving tour and a team building dinner. Evening activities will be self-led, and our staff can help you select an appropriate activity for your group.

These experiences cost $100 per person per night. Breakfast and lunch will be provided each day. Dinner is included the first night of your stay.

Day of Service

Unlike our other immersion trips that fully immerse you in the culture of a new place, our goal here is to “just get some work done.” Our service days are ideal for small groups of adults who just want to help. The project you work on depends on the needs of our homeowners and funding for construction projects. We can accommodate up to twelve participants.

A pleasant surprise for all of us was the experience of arriving in Louisville with “just our co-workers” from varying levels of relationships, acquaintances to long-time friends, and leaving with a new family. And I mean family - people from different backgrounds, ages, cultures, job titles, time with the company and experience, wholeheartedly doing service work together.

Becky

businessolver Service Trip Participant

Community Connectors Monthly Volunteer Program

Are you a stay at-home parent, retiree, student or just looking to get involved once a month? Join us the 3rd Thursday of each month to work on a community project.

Groups work on a variety of projects: safety & accessibility projects, small repair projects around our office, painting, etc. Skills are not necessary.

How It Works

If you are interested in joining a trip or scheduling a trip for your group, please contact our office.
After your trip is scheduled, we will keep in touch with you regarding pre-trip planning, payment, required forms, packing lists, etc.
We can accommodate groups of up to 12 in our Louisville retreat center. For student groups, we require a 6:1 youth to adult ratio.
The housing is located on-site in the Hand in Hand main office in the Portland neighborhood in Louisville. The 2nd floor is a private space for groups with 3 bedrooms with 2-3 bunks each, one room with a bunk and a private bathroom (typically for group leaders), a community bathroom, a full kitchen and a lounge area. The space has central heat/AC and free WIFI is also provided.
Breakfast and lunch are provided for everyday your group stays overnight with us. All trips include one team building dinner activity, and the 5-night trip option includes one additional dinner. Water is provided on the worksite and in our retreat center. We cannot always accommodate specific dietary restrictions.
We provide all building materials and tools needed for the project your group works on during your trip. No skills are necessary to participate. We can always find meaningful work for any skill level.
For all overnight trips we provide a walking or driving tour of the Portland neighborhood. For groups staying multiple nights, there will be daily opportunities to learn more about the history of Louisville, visit local museums and attractions, and opportunities to engage and learn with community members.
The charitable donation for one to four nights is $100/night per person, and the cost for a five-night immersion trip is $500 per person. This covers the cost of building materials, accommodation, most meals and other costs related to your stay in Louisville. Some evening activities may have an additional cost that the group will be responsible to cover.

Louisville Retreat Center

Other Destinations

We’ve been sending folks into communities around the globe for over twenty years. Our work focuses on providing quality education, safe housing and health care to those who need it most.

Ready to Lend a Hand?

Our immersion trip programs are all part of an experience you won’t forget.

Contact Hannah