Saluting Global Volunteers With a Strong Passion For Service in FY2020

Congratulations and thank you to our fourth group of unique individuals who, during the last months of 2019 and January and February 2020, reached their “milestones in service.” We recognize Alumni Volunteers who completed from five to 27 service programs with Global Volunteers in this fourth post in November (the month of “giving thanks”).

We Salute each and every one of you!

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“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”  

~ Anthony Bourdain

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Brenda Clark first served with Global Volunteers in 1991 on a service program in Poland. In February 2020, she completed her 16th service program. Brenda has volunteered in Poland four times and once each in Russia, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Cook Islands, Peru, China, Hungary, Portugal, Italy, Mexico, and Nepal.

Tim Cunniff’s adventure in service began in Italy in 1998. To date, he has completed 17 service programs with Global Volunteers: Italy and Vietnam twice, and once each in China, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Peru, Ecuador, Portugal, Mexico, India, St. Lucia, Tanzania, Cook Islands, and Nepal.

Don Marshall’s first Global Volunteers service program was in the Cook Islands in 2006, and he returned twice after that. He also served three times in Tanzania, twice in Peru, and once each in Costa Rica, China, St. Lucia, Vietnam, Cuba, Portugal, and Ecuador, for a total of 15 service programs.

Barbara Morris’ first service program with Global Volunteers was in 2008 in Ecuador. To date, Barbara has served on 19 service programs as a team member or Volunteer Team Leader: Montana, four times, Vietnam and Cuba three times, twice in Ecuador, West Virginia and South Dakota, and once in Peru, India, and Tanzania.

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Norman Baxter joined Global Volunteers’ inaugural team in Russia in 1992. To date, he’s served as a team member or a Volunteer Team Leader on 11 programs: Six in Cuba, twice in Montana, and once in Vietnam, Russia and West Virginia.

John and Helen Blythe have served as a couple with Global Volunteers since 2005 in Hawaii. In February 2020, they completed their 12th service program with a team in New Mexico. To date, they have volunteered three times in Montana, and once in West Virginia, South Dakota, New Mexico, Hawaii, Peru, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Cuba, and Portugal.

George Hayes’ first service program was in Poland in 2005, but Asia stole his heart. He completed his tenth service program with Global Volunteers in February in Nepal. Over the years, George has volunteered seven times in India, twice in Nepal, and once in Poland.

Kathy Hirst’s journey in service began in 2012 on a West Virginia program. In January 2020, her 12th service program was in Ecuador. Kathy also served four times in Cuba, twice in Montana, and once in West Virginia, South Dakota, India, Portugal, and Vietnam.

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Barbara Holdridge joined her first Global Volunteers service program in 2003, serving in Poland. In November 2019, Barb completed her 11th program with a St. Lucia team. Over the years, she has volunteered four times in Poland and the Cook Islands, and once in Italy, Greece, and St Lucia.

Ellen Holzschuh completed her 14th service program in February 2020 with a team in her beloved Cook Islands – where she’s volunteered 11 other times. She’s also served in Hawaii and Cuba.

Linda Moore completed her tenth service program with Global Volunteers in November 2019 with a team in Nepal. Since 2011, Linda has volunteered worldwide in Ecuador, Ghana, Romania, India, Peru, Brazil, Tanzania, Nepal, and twice in Montana.

Greg and Marcia Potvin’s service as a couple began in 2007 on Global Volunteers’ Ecuador program. In February 2020, they served in the Cook Islands on their 11th service program. The Potvin’s also served twice in India and Tanzania, and once in Romania, Peru, Cuba, Greece, and Nepal.

Esther Schak began her service with Global Volunteers in Greece in 2008. In February 2020, Esther completed her 13th service program with a team in Nepal. Over the years, she has also volunteered six times in China, three times in Poland, and once in Cuba and Tanzania.

Jim Wallace chose Vietnam for his first service program in September 2002. To date, Jim has completed ten programs with Global Volunteers worldwide: Three times in China and Hungary and once in Vietnam, Mexico, Cook Islands, and Greece.

“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”  

~ Maya Angelou

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Noreen Alldredge’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in Italy in September 2007. Since then, she’s enjoyed volunteering in Europe: Three times in Portugal, once again in Italy, and once in Greece. In January 2020, Noreen completed her seventh service program on a team in Cuba.

Mary Benton is a fan of the South Pacific, choosing the Cook Islands in 2014 as her first service program with Global Volunteers. She returned to serve in Rarotonga for the sixth time in February 2020.

Mary Chatfield’s first served with Global Volunteers in Indonesia in 1997. Since then, Mary has served in India three times, Vietnam twice, and once in Costa Rica, Tanzania and Nepal.

Ken Dubuque’s commitment to serve with Global Volunteers every year began in Montana in 2013. Over the past seven years, he’s also served in the Cook Islands, Poland, Italy, Portugal, Vietnam, Peru, and Nepal.

Barbara Dunham’s volunteer journeys began in 2012 on a team in India. To date, she has served on five service programs with Global Volunteers: Three in Poland and one each in India and Peru.

Jane Durkee served on her sixth Global Volunteers program in November 2019 in Nepal. Before that, she volunteered in Ghana, South Africa, Peru, Vietnam, and the Cook Islands.

Judy and Peter Jonas first served with Global Volunteers in Costa Rica in 2006. To date, they have served together on eight service programs across the globe: Twice in St. Lucia and once in Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Cuba, Portugal, and New Mexico.

Mel Katzmann completed her seventh service program with Global Volunteers in November 2019 in Nepal. She has previously served twice in Cuba and Vietnam, and once in Ireland and Montana.

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Diane Lindy’s first adventure in service was in Montana in 2013. Since then, she’s also served in Poland three times and once in Nepal and Ecuador.

Dorothy Mason completed her ninth service program with Global Volunteers in New Mexico in February 2020. Over the years, she has also served internationally twice in Cuba and once each in Ecuador, Peru, Greece, South Africa, the Cook Islands, and Portugal.

Tom McMahon first joined Global Volunteers in Peru in 2010. Over the past ten years, he’s also served three times in Cuba and once in Mexico.

Rene Moquin first served with Global Volunteer in Poland in 2012 and returned four times after that. He also served in Vietnam, Cuba, and China for a total of eight service programs.

Marianne Poblenz served in Italy in 2008 for the first time. She’s since volunteered on four other Global Volunteers service programs in Poland, Portugal, Peru, and Nepal.

Linda Roberts completed her sixth service program with Global Volunteers in St. Lucia last November. Before that, she had served on teams in Montana, Cuba, Costa Rica, West Virginia, and the Cook Islands.

Shirley Sauvageau completed her seventh service program with Global Volunteers in St. Lucia, January 2020. Since 1997, she has also served internationally in China, India, Greece, Tanzania, West Virginia, and Poland.

Bluma Schechter’s first service program with Global Volunteer was in the Cook Islands in 2015. Since then, she has participated in five more programs globally: Ecuador, Vietnam, Peru, Portugal, and Tanzania.

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John Taylor’s first service program was in Peru in 2012. He has since served on four other service programs with Global Volunteers: once in India and three times in Tanzania.

Bill and Jane Teaford first began serving with Global Volunteers in Poland in 1997. Together, they volunteered on six other service programs worldwide: Mexico three times and once in Italy, Spain, and Cuba.

Cheryl Vosk’s first journey in service began in Arizona in 2003. She also completed three programs in West Virginia, two in Montana, and one in South Dakota with Global Volunteers.

Christine Weaver first joined Global Volunteers’ Australia program in 2004. She has completed a total of eight service programs, including two in St. Lucia and five in Costa Rica.

Kathy Wernimont completed her fifth service program with Global Volunteers in Nepal in February 2020. Since 2009, she has also served twice in West Virginia and once in the Cook Islands and Cuba.

Rob Withrow’s first three service programs with Global Volunteers were in the Cook Islands starting in 2005. In October 2019, he completed his fifth program volunteering in Cuba. Rob has also joined a team in Poland.

Phil Zeitler’s journey in service began in 2008 on a program in Ecuador. To date, he has served on six other service programs with Global Volunteers: Vietnam twice and once in Peru, India, Cuba, and Tanzania.

We are incredibly grateful and proud of you – our valued team members and the most inspiring and influential ambassadors for Global Volunteers. We thank you for the dedication, love, knowledge, and compassion you have shown local people and our community partners worldwide.

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Are you a Global Volunteers Alumnus? Did you know that while waiting to serve again in the field, there are still ways you can help us spread the word about our programs and outcomes?

• Join our Facebook Alumni group and follow us on our Facebook page.
• Share your Global Volunteers’ experiences with friends and family via social media.
• Become a Global Volunteers “blogger” and write about your adventures in service.

For more information contact mbjorklund@globalvolunteers.org

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