Hurricanes Dean and Gustav tore through the Caribbean island of Jamaica in 2007 and 2008, leaving many houses water-damaged or completely destroyed. Volunteer organization Projects Abroad, together with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, is dedicated to rebuilding more than 40 homes in the parish of Saint Ann, on the island’s northern coast.

HOW YOU HELP: Repair damaged homes by mixing mortar, laying blocks, fixing aluminum roofs, and installing windows; build sanitation facilities such as drains, toilets, and sewage systems.

HIGHLIGHTS: Practice basic Jamaican Creole in a language lesson with locals. Visit Bob Marley’s birthplace, the village of Nine Miles, located within the parish. Hike to waterfalls in the eastern Blue Mountains. Relax on a beach by the resort town of Ocho Rios.

Projects Abroad, (888) 839-3535, one-month trips from $3,145, including meals and homestay lodging. This appeared in the May/June 2010 issue.