How much one should expect to spend in the program?

It's been a long time (more than 15 years) since we've done any of the Global Volunteers trips to Poland so it would be difficult to answer this question. But as I remember it the costs of the program were very reasonable for what we got. They covered the basic cost for housing and food during the volunteer time. It also covered transportation from the airport to the volunteer site and back.

The Global Volunteer fees are clearly shown on its web site for all the various service programs. This fee pays the housing cost and 3 meals a day for the volunteer, plus safe drinking water. This fee also provides transportation from and return to the designated airport from the service program site. Built into this fee is evacuation insurance if a volunteer would somehow become that ill. The fee also includes the services of a team leader who keeps the service program running slowly, does the back and forth communication with the designated host community, and helps to provide or answer about cultural activities or cultural questions. The team leader also facilitates any necessary language translation. The volunteer is responsible for plane fare to and from the designated airport. A volunteer should probably purchase health insurance, particularly if American because American insurance doesn't cover out of the country. For Americans the service program fee and the plane fare are tax deductible and Global Volunteers keeps good records if a volunteer ever receives a challenge for the deduction.

The meals do not include beer or wine. If a volunteer wants this, the volunteer must pay for this.

The other expenditures might be pocket money for an ice cream or candy bar when out and about. Also in many programs there is a chance to travel elsewhere in the country on the free weekends. These expenditures are at the expense of the specific volunteer. The team leader doesn't act as travel agent for this, but can give good advice or perhaps help facilitate, for example, the purchase of train tickets.

I hope this answers the questions about fees.

You don't need much spending money. All of your meals at the camp are paid for. You will need to spend your own money if you go into town and buy various items, like soft drinks, ice cream, souvenirs and things like that.

You should purchase a health insurance plan for overseas travelers. Many American insurance companies (and Medicare) do not cover travel to overseas. You can get a cheap policy (aobut $40) from Travel Guard Insurance. You can contact them at travelguard.com or call them at 877-206-1886.

Obviously you will have to pay for any weekend excursions you may plan for yourself, like to Warsaw or Kraków.

Some people, when investigating GV service programs, do not understand that they have to pay for their own transportation to and from Warsaw (airport code WAW). The program will pick you up and drop you back off again at the WAW airport but the airfare will be at your expense. However, it is important to keep in mind that the airfare (as well as the program cost) is tax-deductable.