SAFETY

Safety is a top priority at Cross Exchange. See what steps we are taking to ensure volunteers and hosts have the best experience possible.

Note: this page is written with our travelers in mind. For helpful safety information and tips for hosts, see our Host Resources.

Don't Compromise Safety for Adventure

At Cross Exchange, your safety is our priority. While travel inherently involves some level of risk, our platform is designed for those who are comfortable embracing new challenges with resilience and adaptability. We strive to provide a strong foundation of support, and we work diligently to foster a secure environment for both travelers and hosts. Safety, however, is a shared responsibility, requiring active participation from the traveler as well. Here's how we prioritize your wellbeing and the steps we encourage you to take to promote a positive and enriching travel experience!

Red-haired man riding a decorated camel in front of the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, with a camel handler standing nearby

Host Verification

In terms of safety, the biggest differentiator between Cross Exchange and other work exchange platforms is our commitment to verify every host that uses our platform.

After hosts have completed their profile, our team video calls with them to confirm their authenticity. We ask hosts to provide a view of their home and living quarters where volunteer(s) will stay, and share more about who they are and what they believe. If we have reason to believe the host is not being genuine with our team, or if anything gives us pause about having volunteers stay with them- we respectfully decline their invitation to host on our platform.

There's quite a few 'what-ifs' that can happen here, so if you'd like to learn more about how we handle this important process, you can explore our Host Verification resource article for more details.

Local Church Opportunities

Travelers who wish to turn their travels into a ministry opportunity with increased security can seek volunteer projects that involve helping at a local church or charitable organization. In most cases, the traveler still lives with a host family, but completes their volunteer service with the host's local church or ministry they support. This is a unique combination of a work exchange and a mission trip that fosters safety through community.

Large group of adults and children posing together indoors with gifts and backpacks, with a religious painting visible on the wall behind them

A woman in a black puffer jacket bends toward her golden dog near a barbed wire fence, while dark Shetland ponies graze on a green coastal hillside

Training

Our goal is to equip all Cross Exchange travelers with relevant, timely, and useful information to be successful on their adventure, whether traveling near home or far abroad. Whether you're planning your first trip or are a seasoned explorer, we aim to provide the tools and insights you need to make each trip seamless and enriching. Our Resources page is a great place to start, and we look forward to adding more resources over time!

Reviews

★★★★★

Another important way Cross Exchange promotes safety is through our volunteer and host review feature.

Reviews matter: they help other travelers determine if a host is the right fit for them, and hosts that consistently receive negative reviews will be removed from our platform.

A white and red Greek fishing boat named Koulounas moored in a calm blue harbor with sailboats and a hillside village in the background

Two women standing on a hilltop at golden hour, one pointing toward rolling hills and a coastal town in the distance

Traveling with Friends

Traveling with a friend is a simple and fun way to promote safety when you're on an adventure. To encourage this practice, Cross Exchange provides our members a volunteer search & filter feature, providing the ability to find and reach out to other travelers who have similar plans. Additionally, Cross Exchange supports joint-profiles: two friends who wish to travel together can create a shared membership profile, making it even easier to find hosts and travel together with friends.

Insurance

All Cross Exchange travelers need to have medical insurance that will cover them in the place(s) they are traveling to. Travelers should check with their normal medical insurer to see if they will be covered at their new location, and if not, need to purchase medical insurance that will cover their trip. Traveler medical insurance can be easily purchased through an internet search, and there are multiple inexpensive packages to choose from.

White Greek Orthodox church with a vivid blue dome and cross on top against a clear sky

Contact Us

We're here to help. If you have a question that isn't addressed on our FAQ'S page, please use our contact form or send us an email at help@crossexchange.org.
If you are in an emergency, please call the appropriate emergency help line in your area (USA is 911).