How to Become a Volunteer

Ready to Help Transform Lives?

Mercy Ships needs volunteer medical professionals, maritime officers, teachers, administrators, I.T. specialists, accountants, cooks, and so much more. Applying is easy and secure, and it’s the first step on the journey to find your place on board!  Together, we can bring hope and healing.

STEP O1

Is Mercy Ships the right fit?

We want to get to know you and we want to give you the chance to get to know Mercy Ships!  If you haven’t already, check out our FAQs. There are so many ways to make sure Mercy Ships is the right fit. You might even want to hear first-hand experiences from our volunteer stories. Can you imagine yourself on board? Continue on to the next step! 

STEP O2

Choose a Role

Find a position that interests you! You can search all of our roles to see where your professional skills and talents might fill a need on board. Some roles are currently accepting applications while others are not. Those that are “Open” have a green tag and a button on the page that says “Apply Now.”

STEP O3

Apply or Sign Up for Opportunity Updates

If the role you are interested in is open and accepting new applicants, start your application. To learn more about the application process and how to apply, click here.

If you are interested in a role that is not accepting new applications, you can click the “I’m interested” button. You will be led to a form to sign up for updates, and we will let you know when we begin accepting applications again. 

STEP O4

Waiting… 

Whether you have submitted your application or are waiting for the right opportunity, there may be some waiting involved! New roles become available on a weekly basis, but some roles do have a long waiting list. 

If you have submitted your application, the team at Mercy Ships will review your application and let you know if you qualify, this usually takes a few weeks.

STEP O5

Talent Community

At some point, every potential volunteer will likely find themselves in our Talent Community as they wait for their chance to serve on board. Our Talent Community is just that, a community of volunteers who are awaiting their opportunity to volunteer! We keep you informed of any updates as new positions open and will give you some insider information so you can stay on top of Mercy Ships news!

STEP O6

Get On Board

This is, of course, the most exciting step in the process – when you travel to join one of our ships. Nothing beats the feeling you get from walking up the gangway for the first time, and we’re excited to take this journey with you bringing hope and healing.

Ready to get started?

We need thousands of volunteers every year to bring hope and healing. Volunteers providing their skills, gifts, time, and expertise. Volunteers like you.

Are you ready to take the next step?