With one day to go before returning home, I have been reflecting on my volunteer experience. While Sue has been very enthusiastic about a Global Volunteer trip, I was unsure if I really wanted to go. After much thought, I decided to leave “my comfort zone” and go to St. Lucia. I was so […]
Five reasons to join Global Volunteers’ Alumni Program: 1. To significantly reduce your service program fee You have the opportunity to spread the word about Global Volunteers by sharing your unique volunteer story with friends, family, neighbors, school groups, and colleagues AND earn credit for your next service program – as a thank you from us […]
As a Global Volunteer in Cuba, you explore the country and culture through her people. Cubans and Americans together—building bridges over which our governments can walk. These add-on activities provide meaningful, intriguing, and memorable opportunities for exchanges that round out your service experience. The people-to-people costs are included in the two-week program contribution. One-week volunteers […]
by Tracy Heaberlin Have you ever googled “travel service babies?” I did about 10 years ago, and it led me to Global Volunteers. Working as a health-care provider, I was interested in spending some of my vacation time engaging in short-term volunteerism. Global Volunteers helps provide short-term volunteers on long-term service projects to create, nurture, […]
by Denise Miller My first experience with Global Volunteers was in 2005, when I read an article in The Washington Post about volunteer vacations. When I looked at the Global Volunteers website, the Cook Islands was featured on the front page, and I was hooked. This was a place I had always wanted to visit, and […]
In the years since Ruth Curran first served as a volunteer in St. Lucia, she accepted a position on our Board of Directors, and thereafter joined our staff as Director of Partnerships. As an author, blogger and organizational behaviorist, Ruth believes things happen for a reason. For instance, she believes the understanding seized from her life-changing […]
Volunteering abroad with a partner may lead to new directions and interpersonal connections. It can be one of the most significant experiences of your life! Gail and Bill O’Neal are a couple volunteering in Cuba who truly enjoy service together, as recorded in their program journal. Read on for a glimpse into their experience. By […]
Since participating on his first Global Volunteers service program in Russia in 1992, Norman has participated in service programs in Vietnam and Cuba, and has led numerous volunteer teams in Cuba and Montana. Now retired and living in Calfornia, his working career included 12 years as a commercial banker and 17 years working on overseas […]
Christmas in Peru, by Peru Country Manager Daniel Salazar: There is no Thanksgiving in Peru, and no other holiday comes close to Christmas in terms of the excitement and commotion it causes. Yes, there is no snow. In fact, it’s summer in Peru. But that does not prevent people from wearing Santa hats. In fact, […]
A Different Holiday Story, by Peru Country Manager Daniel Salazar: Holidays in Peru and the U.S. are similar in many ways. In both countries most people think of getting together with the family around a nice turkey dinner. But it is also different in many ways. For instance, in Peru most people don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. But […]