Christmas (Xristouyenna- Christouyenna), meaning “the birth of Christ,” is one of the most important celebrations within the Greek Orthodox church. Traditions vary depending on which region or Island one is from. Here are a few of the popular traditions celebrated in Greece as reported by Greece Country Manager Sam Pinakoulaki: Kalikantzari During the 12-day period […]
Lee Park and Eric Tiffany have always wanted to give back through service and, for years, have been interested in the possibility of doing a long-term volunteer program abroad. With that in mind, they chose a two-week service program in Crete to “wet their feet” and gain a little experience for their future retirement; exploring […]
Global Volunteers alumni and octogenarians, Wilma Bennett (above, left) and Popi Anastassatos (above, right), have been best friends since the late 60s. When in 2022 Wilma invited Popi to explore her Greek heritage on a service program, Popi was soon to join her. Read on to learn why they dubbed it “an adventure of their […]
Because they live on a small island with many communities situated on the water, you might imagine that St Lucia children would be strong swimmers. Sadly, this is not the case; the number of childhood drownings has risen considerably over recent years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 236,000 people die yearly due […]
Iowa Development Director and Global Volunteers Alumna Ann Sweeney has found a familiar second “home” in Ciego de Ávila, our partner community in Cuba, which will again host volunteers after a nearly three-year pandemic suspension. On her last service program in 2018, Ann rekindled connections with “old friends” in a community garden, where team members […]
James Puati and his wife, Debi, both New Zealand-born-and-raised Cook Islanders, moved to their ancestral home of Rarotonga in 2003 with their two children, Samantha and Jordan, to immerse their family in their Cook Islands heritage. Now with three grandchildren (mokopuna) and extended family on the island, they retain ties with their birth country through friends and […]
Peggy and Bud Cope volunteered in Greece with their three children, Ellie, Adam, and Evan, after having a year that could’ve torn them apart, both physically and emotionally. Peggy had the feeling that the only hope her family had to heal and come together was if they did something meaningful together. So Peggy and her […]
Stephen Raja Chinnappan was born and raised in Bangalore, India. He joined Global Volunteers in 2001 after serving as a free-time tour guide for volunteers in Chennai. After being promoted to Country Manager, Stephen led volunteer teams until the India program was suspended in 2018 and the Nepal program began. Stephen also provides service program […]
University student Emmanuelle Dulac was born with the “volunteer bug.” For as long as she can remember, she’s been an active volunteer in her home town of Québec, Canada. But she began looking for more; a chance to help others while experiencing a new culture. An internet search in March, 2022 brought her to the […]
In early 2016, Global Volunteers Crete teams were called upon by local authorities to help meet the needs of the sudden large influx of Syrian refugees to Greece. Volunteers worked packaging and sorting donated clothing and preparing boxes for shipping to Athens. Since then, more than a million refugees and migrants have traveled across Greece. Today, Greece […]