Interested in applying? Check the schedule for your application deadline, then follow the application steps.
COVID-19 UPDATE: Vaccination against COVID-19 is required for all volunteers participating in this program, including booster shot. Please review our FAQs prior to applying.
DECEMBER PROGRAM UPDATE: There won’t be a month-long program in December 2023. Please check out the December 2023 Weeklong Programs webpage for December programming.
Overview
No More Deaths maintains a year-round humanitarian presence in the borderlands of Southern Arizona. We work in remote corridors where the Prevention Through Deterrence policy has pushed migration routes, hiking the trails and leaving water, food, socks, blankets, and other supplies. Under the direction of our medical team, volunteers provide emergency first-aid treatment to individuals in distress.
As a Desert Aid volunteer, you will work alongside trained long-term NMD volunteers, as well as a cohort of new local volunteers. You will primarily be volunteering in Southern Arizona, doing supply drops in remote areas as well as helping to maintain a consistent presence at our 24/7 humanitarian aid camp.
Our capacity for training, hosting, and supporting volunteers is limited to four month-long volunteers at any time and requires a time commitment to the dates listed below. Please note that program dates are firm, and we are unable to accommodate volunteers outside of our structured programming listed below. If you’re interested in being a Desert Aid volunteer, please refer to the information below about the application process. If you’re local to Tucson please apply to be be a local volunteer here.
Schedule
Please note the application deadline for your desired start date. Dates for application cycles are posted three months in advance of the deadline. You will be notified about your application status within two weeks of the application deadline.
| Month | Program | Start & End Date | Application |
| February 2024 | Desert Aid Month-long | Sunday, 2/04 – Friday, 3/01 | Deadline: November 5th, 2023. Apply Here. |
| March 2024 | Desert Aid Month-long | Sunday, 3/03 – Friday, 3/29 | Deadline: December 3rd, 2023. Apply Here. |
| April 2024 | Desert Aid Month-long | Sunday, 4/07 – Friday, 5/03 | Deadline: January 7th, 2024. Apply Here. |
| May 2024 | Desert Aid Month-long | Sunday, 5/05 – Friday, 5/31 | Deadline: February 4th, 2024. Apply Here. |
Please plan to stay for the entire session that you are accepted for.
Trainings are held on the first Sunday of every program. New volunteers must arrive in Tucson the day before the training.
We ask that volunteers in the month-long program be flexible and available to plug in as needed. Work will vary based on a variety of factors, including the capacity of our long-term volunteers and conditions on the ground in Arizona. The work may involve trips to our humanitarian aid camp in Arivaca, water drop trips throughout the surrounding areas, and supporting projects based in Tucson. Volunteers will take breaks at our volunteer house in Tucson.
Steps for applying
1. Please read all the information above. Also review the FAQ.
2. Find someone from a grassroots organization you have worked with or been involved with (activist collective, nonprofit, advocacy group, volunteer/community-service organization, etc.) to write you a letter of reference. Ask them to fill out a reference form for you before the application deadline.
3. Submit your application by the listed deadline.
4. Wait to hear back from the volunteer coordinator. We get a high volume of applications and can only accept four volunteers per session. Expect to hear back from us within two weeks of the application deadline.
5. If notified that your application has advanced to the next stage in the acceptance process, you will be asked to attend a brief interview with the volunteer coordinator.