Barbara Morris, a Volunteer Team Leader, provides a glimpse into her work supporting and enabling her team of volunteers in Cuba. Bright and early, our gardeners, clad in hats, sunscreen, and gloves headed out with their host to work in the garden. Kind of like sending kids off to their first day of school! Next the “maintenance” crew, […]
A family home visit in a shanty town outside Lima and a conversation with a displaced child’s grandfather raises conflicting questions for Peru volunteers Jody and David. Our final day of volunteering has come WAY too quickly! I’m honestly conflicted, feeling we’ve experienced so much in such a short time, but at the same time have barely scratched […]
Global Volunteers team members often have the opportunity to participate in a traditional Sweat Lodge ceremony. It’s a unique experience for most non-Indians, who may have only heard about this practice in cultural lore. Many volunteers try a few “rounds” inside the lodge around hot rocks that are doused with water while prayers and chants are […]
Jim, a recent Poland Global Volunteer, describes his personal technique for teaching conversational English to Polish students. This morning was a mixture of excitement and some anxiety. Exciting because I would meet my class of Polish English students for the first time. I’m a bit anxious because I didn’t know for sure if the activities I planned […]
Reflections by Emily, an India Global Volunteer, on the cumulative positive volunteer impact on students in Chennai. Before I made the decision to come to Chennai, India, I debated with myself over what my true volunteer impact would be in such a short period of time. I didn’t know if my time and effort volunteering […]
by Daniel Salazar, Global Volunteers Peru Country Manager. When you volunteer in Peru, you have the chance to significantly change a child’s life. It’s one thing to sight-see in Lima. But there is an opportunity to do more, to get to know the country, the stories, and also actually make a difference in a child’s […]
Global Volunteers’ Philosophy of Service guides team members on the principles of responsible volunteering. This alumni volunteer shares a practical example of how this works on site in Chennai, India and elsewhere around the world. By Fran, India Volunteer. At Assisi Illam, the daycare center in Chennai where we’re serving, we’ve just finished singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, […]
Some 35 percent of our 32, 000 alumni volunteers have served on previous programs. Lori is a particularly loyal Poland volunteer, and over her 30-plus service programs, she’s formed relationships with several of the same students year after year. Her reflections as a Global Volunteer alumnus are excerpted from the team journal. I’m fortunate to have met so many great […]
History of Global Volunteers on The Oprah Show Oprah reported: “When Bud Philbrook and Michele Gran opted out of a honeymoon cruise to take a more meaningful trip, they stumbled onto a rewarding way to enrich their own lives and help thousands of children around the world.” Instead of their planned cruise, Bud and […]
First-time Global Volunteer Ken Higgins was excited to teach children in Poland after his wife served on a Ghana Global Volunteers program in 2012. “I wanted to be able to help others in some fashion and experience a different culture. Based on Debbie’s recommendation of Global Volunteers, it seemed like a good organization to attain these goals, ” he said. […]