Your generous donation helps to save and change lives every day.
Your charitable investment will go toward ongoing global relief to care for the underserved and vulnerable people of this community. As a member of this medical mission team, you will elevate the long-term impact of sustainable, capacity-building efforts that improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of those most in need.
Overview
The Need
International Medical Relief marked its first outreach in Belgium in 2024, expanding our field operations to support Ukraine relief efforts at accommodation centers there. Our commitment is to develop sustainable, long-term impact strategies that will create a better future for many. From delivering essential medical supplies and equipment to standing alongside our colleagues in providing medical and mental health care, we are dedicated to being part of the solution. Join us on an impactful journey as we collaborate with our NGO partners to bring vital relief to refugees.
Education remains at the core of our mission, with resources focused on infectious disease prevention, health and hygiene, mental health trainings, and education around lifestyle management to empower communities for lasting well-being.
Throughout this conflict, International Medical Relief prioritizes the people we serve. The safety and security of our team is paramount, and we approach every step with thoughtfulness, responsibility, and clear strategic planning. As we provide support, we honor those who have been forced to leave their homes and families in search of safety in neighboring countries.
This Mission
Belgium is currently home to approximately 100,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled their homeland between 2022 and 2026. The overwhelming majority are women, children, and the elderly—individuals who left not by choice but by necessity, driven from their cities by war. For many, there is no path homeward: their cities lie occupied or reduced to ruin, their prior lives rendered irrecoverable.
Displacement of this magnitude exacts a profound toll. Those who once cultivated stable, fulfilling lives in Ukraine—and particularly those at a stage of life when such stability felt permanent—now confront the formidable task of reconstructing an existence from nothing. Arriving in a foreign country without command of the language, without comprehension of unfamiliar legal systems, isolated from family and community, and stripped of both material resources and personal savings constitutes a form of hardship that resists easy description. It is unsurprising, then, that depression is widespread among this population, and that some individuals grapple with suicidal ideation.
This is precisely where our volunteers make the difference.
Behind every service we provide—every form translated, every appointment accompanied, every meal shared, every hour of companionship offered—stands a volunteer who chose to show up. Our volunteers are often the first face of welcome a family encounters, the patient tutor helping a child navigate a new language, the steady presence that reminds someone they have not been abandoned or forgotten. You do not need specialized credentials to make a meaningful contribution; you need only a willingness to listen, to assist, and to accompany someone through an exceptionally difficult chapter of their life.
Many of those we serve persevere for their children, striving to forge some semblance of a future in an adopted homeland, while still harboring hope that they might one day return once the war concludes. Your involvement—however modest it may seem to you—can be the difference between isolation and belonging for a family navigating that uncertainty.
This mission takes place alongside Saint Nicholas Day (Sinterklaas / Saint-Nicolas). This is one of the most beloved traditions in Belgium, especially for children, and it’s celebrated with real enthusiasm alongside — and somewhat separately from — Christmas.
Compounding this challenge, a fresh wave of displacement is now unfolding across Europe as Russian forces intensify their campaign against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, leaving countless families to face a brutal winter without electricity, water, or heat. This escalation means the need for dedicated volunteers has never been more pressing.
Lodging/Transportation
No lodging provided.
For this disaster relief mission, you will secure your own lodging. Please note that meals are not provided.
Highlights
The war in Ukraine continues to fuel an increasingly desperate humanitarian crisis. International Medical Relief teams, embedded in the surrounding region to support Ukrainian refugees, are responding by expanding access to medical, dental, and mental health services, alongside sustainable health education for the communities affected by displacement.
Our highlight is the opportunity to serve refugees directly—delivering the compassionate, lifesaving care they deserve. This mission places particular emphasis on:
- Community Health Education — equipping individuals and families with practical knowledge to safeguard their health and navigate their new environment
- Reading Glasses Distribution — restoring vision and independence for adults and elders whose access to corrective eyewear was disrupted by displacement
- Children’s Programming — creating a dedicated space for children to engage in supportive, age-appropriate activities amid profound upheaval
- Mental Health Trainings — addressing the psychological toll of war and displacement through education, coping strategies, and community support
- Public Health Topics — covering a range of preventive and wellness-focused subjects relevant to the community’s daily needs
Per the requirements of our Ministry of Health partners, this mission does not include medication distribution. Yet even without pharmaceutical intervention, there remains a profound and meaningful scope of care we can offer our Ukrainian friends—one rooted in education, compassion, and human connection.
Extend Your Stay
Our travel partner, Worldwide Navigators, has some amazing extensions across Europe prepared for our volunteers! Below are links to some of our favorites from past team members. These are all customizable to match your favorite European destinations!
Itinerary at a Glance
Arrivals and Orientation
Clinic
Clinic
Clinic
Clinic
Free Day
Departures
Please View Full Itinerary in the Next Tab
Sustainable Impact
Your Journey
Weather
Clinic Photos
Gallery
Full Itinerary
This Itinerary is a guide and subject to change – thank you, as always, for your flexibility
Arrivals and Orientation
You will fly into Brussels-National Airport (BRU), with an anticipated arrival time of 2:00 PM. Brussels is one of Europe’s hidden gems, and your introduction to its charm will begin shortly after touchdown. The airport is situated northeast of the city center, offering a scenic glimpse of the surrounding landscape as you make your way to the hotel. Should you wish to arrange transportation from the airport to your accommodations, you may do so through IMR’s travel partner, Worldwide Navigators, available for purchase within your portal under Trip Add-Ons.
At 5:00 PM, the team will convene for orientation to prepare for the upcoming week of clinical service. Your team leader will provide an overview of the clinic, review IMR’s clinic protocols and COVID-19 procedures, and discuss the communities you will be serving. At this time, your Health Declaration and negative COVID test results will be collected.
Following orientation, you and your team will sort and organize all mission supplies. Please bring your donated items as well—everything will be sorted, organized, and repacked in preparation for clinic the following day.
Dinner is on your own. Afterward, you are welcome to explore the city or rest ahead of your first day in clinic.
Clinic
Following breakfast on your own, the team will depart to the service site for your first day of clinic. Be sure to pack your daypack with all your snacks, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, camera, phone, water bottle, and diagnostic equipment.
The first day of clinic is great. You will surely have an impact on our visiting Ukrainian friends. Make sure you understand your role and assignment and if you need to, ask for clarification. Look to your IMR alumni in the orange caps for guidance, and please stay in your assigned clinic role throughout the day. Don’t forget your safety protocols! Most importantly, enjoy the special moments. The patients are so humbled to have you there to help them. They are grateful. Take in all these memories, as time will go quickly.
In the evening, you will have a thorough debrief with your team, repack bags for tomorrow, turn in your scrubs, and complete the day’s statistics.
Afterwards, you are free to explore Brussels with its great venues for dining and entertainment.
Clinic
After a quick bite on your own, transport departs to the service site for another great day of clinic!
IMR teams have a unique opportunity to monitor some chronic conditions in our clinics, as we have residents who live in the some of the Welcome Center shelters where we serve. Brush up on your diagnostic skills, as they will surely be put to great use!
Our patients are primarily the elderly, children, and women. There are numerous opportunities for educating this population on best health care practices. IMR partners with multiple facilities so you will likely be serving in different locations. Remember to listen to the stories of the patients. These stories will go down in the history books as a testament to this trying time.
In the evening, you will have a thorough debrief with your team, repack bags for tomorrow, turn in your scrubs, and complete the day’s statistics.
Clinic
By this day of clinic, you are on a roll and have full knowledge all the ins and outs of clinic operations, hands-on! We appreciate you and all your service. Remember to take time to learn a story about one of your patients. We want you to walk away with a memory that stays in your heart. Let your team leader know if there is a special place you would like to work in clinic. As always, ask lots of questions to be sure you are prepared for your role.
In the evening, you will have a thorough debrief with your team, repack bags for tomorrow, turn in your scrubs, and complete the day’s statistics.
Clinic
As your week draws to a close, take a moment to recognize that the work you’ve done is an investment in a better tomorrow for our friends. The community healthcare education you and your team have delivered in a public health setting is far more than a supplementary service—it is a continuation of IMR’s long-term, sustainable commitment to empowering the communities we serve.
Education stands as an equal pillar alongside medical and dental care in the lives of our patients. Knowledge, once imparted, cannot be taken away; it remains with individuals and families long after our team has departed. When people are equipped with the understanding and tools to take charge of their own health and wellness, they move from a position of dependency to one of genuine self-sufficiency—capable of sustaining and building upon the progress made, long into the future.
This is the enduring legacy of your service this week: not merely treatment rendered, but capacity built.
Free Day
Today you will have time to explore Brussels. Be sure to spend time in the Grand Place, originally a 12th-century market square that today is home to the Brussels Town Hall and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The architecture is simply amazing! There are galleries and museums everywhere just waiting for you to explore.
Don’t miss the Atomium, the visible landmark with its silver balls created for the 1958 World’s Fair. The structure is made to represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times! Inside are exhibitions celebrating scientific discoveries and breakthroughs, and the view of Brussels from the top ball is spectacular.
If trying the local culinary delights is your game, you can’t go wrong with Belgian waffles and Belgian chocolate. Other local favorites include spiced speculoos cookies, Flemish stew, and Stoemp, a Dutch version of loaded mashed potatoes. You won’t go hungry in Brussels!
Departures
One final morning in Brussels awaits!
Should you find yourself with a bit of extra time before your flight, this is the ideal opportunity to explore what you may have missed: wander through the elegant shops of the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, pay a visit to the whimsical Manneken Pis perched above his fountain near the town hall, or take in the vibrant colors of the city’s flower markets.
Thank you for your dedicated service to the people of Ukraine this week. Your generosity of time, skill, and spirit has made a lasting difference.
Your Journey
Clinic Photos
Extension Photos
Extensions
Our travel partner, Worldwide Navigators, has some amazing extensions across Europe prepared for our volunteers! Below are links to some of our favorites from past team members. These are all customizable to match your favorite European destinations!
Minimum Donation
Your generous donation of $1900 will go toward the ongoing global relief to care for the underserved and vulnerable people of this community. As a member of this medical mission team, you will elevate the long-term impact of sustainable, capacity-building efforts that improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of those most in need. A small portion of your donation includes:
- Clinic supplies and medications for patients
- Clinic participation
- Transportation, accommodations, and meals as outlined in the itinerary
Donation Payment Deadlines
$1900 due by September 7, 2026
$1900 due by November 8, 2026
Early Bird Savings Opportunity
To be eligible, the participant must upload ALL your required documents and forms, sign their liability form and make your 50% donation including your $35 application fee by September 7, 2026. This savings opportunity does not apply to disaster relief missions.
Featured Enhancements
**To purchase any of the above Featured Enhancements for your mission, please contact our office at office@imrus.org or call at (970) 635-0110.
Your Donation to IMR for Your Mission Cost Includes:
All group costs from the time you arrive at the team meeting point in country until you separate from the team or when the team arrives at the departure airport, including:
- Transportation
- Lodging (except for Colorado missions, disaster missions, or as otherwise mentioned in the trip itinerary)
- Costs associated with the clinic
- Food
- Tips for services provided to the IMR team
- All logistics, including translation services and security as needed
Additional Costs That You Are Responsible For:
All group costs from the time you arrive at the team meeting point in country until you separate from the team or when the team arrives at the departure airport, including:
- International and Domestic flights to the country.
- Passport fees, visa fees, and transit fees, including baggage or overnight accommodations/meals while in transit
- Required or recommended insurance
- Vaccinations and medications common for travel
- Spending money for souvenirs and personal purchases
- Required or desired mission supplies, personal equipment, or small gifts for the special people you meet
- Any lodging, meals, and transportation outside of the scheduled team mission, payable at the time of service to the local vendor
- COVID-related fees such as testing, vaccinations, and quarantines as required by in-country arrival/departure or USA arrival/departure
- Each team member is responsible for carrying medical supplies for the deployment. All fees associated with transport are the responsibility of the volunteer.
Financial FAQs
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