Current News, Field Reports and Volunteer Voices

Several times each week, we post stories about work we do in our host communities – through the voices of our partners, volunteers, and those we serve. Subscribe using the form below to receive updates in your inbox when they’re published. If you’re looking for deeper insight into service in a specific country, on a particular type of project, how you can share your unique skills or volunteering as a family or a group, you can find a wealth of information here. Use the categories next to the posts here or on any page (below right column) to explore more stories that suit your interests.

We welcome your ideas on topics you’d like to see here. Please contact us at marketing@globalvolunteers.org. Enjoy our blog!

the greatest service possible

Volunteer Voices

The Greatest Service Possible

Karen has participated in seven volunteer programs in the last year. We asked Karen how and why she does it. This is her answer, a lesson on how to make the greatest service possible: If you are anything like me you spend a lot of time thinking…

Volunteer Voices

Husband Tells of His First Experience Volunteering Abroad in India

On a previous post, Jake told the story of how his wife convinced him to join her on a service program. Now, Jake shares about his first time volunteering in India. Why India? In my circles of academic/student recruitment, many of…

Best Volunteer Programs in North America

News and Updates

Best Volunteer Programs in North America

You don’t have to jet-set across the world to be a Global Volunteer. Serve nearby on the best volunteer programs in North America. Make a significant difference in the lives of your neighbors and volunteer for one, two or three weeks - as…

Wife Gets Husband to Come on a Volunteer Trip

Volunteer Voices

Woman Invites Husband on a Volunteer Trip. Man Falls in Love.

With volunteering couples, it's more likely that a wife invites her husband on a volunteer trip than the other way around. Some 70% of Global Volunteers team members are women. One recent example is Holly and Jake. Holly had volunteered five…

The Cubans

Volunteer Voices Cuba

Another Reason to Love Cuba: The Cubans

Eugenie recently volunteered for the first time with Global Volunteers. She went to Cuba, and the thing she loved most about it was the Cubans. As with every day I have spent volunteering here, my day began with a walk. Sue, another member…

Lunar New Year

Cultures and Traditions China, Vietnam

Half of the World Is Celebrating and You May Not Even Know about It

Jenny Quach is a volunteer coordinator at Global Volunteers. She knows a thing or two about Vietnam. She was born there. Here she shares a little bit about the Lunar New Year. While January 28, 2017 is just another day for most Americans,…

Chinese Spring Festival

Cultures and Traditions China

Getting Ready for the Chinese Spring Festival

China Country Manager Baoli Wang talks about the Chinese Spring Festival and all the preparations families have to do for this festivity. Anticipation has been littering in the air for weeks as people frantically prepare for the Chinese…

Cooking with Stones and Burying Your Food

Cultures and Traditions, Free Time Options Peru

Cooking with Stones and Burying Your Food

Last weekend I went to the Andes region in Peru, to the city of Huancayo. There I encountered many customs that you might have never heard of and you might find interesting. I will share them with you in a few blog-posts. First of all, allow…

family volunteer abroad

Family Volunteering

Family Volunteer Abroad Discounts

Opportunities to make a genuine difference worldwide await you as a family! Global Volunteers is your safest, most affordable option abroad. To encourage service together, we offer family volunteer abroad discounts. Refer to all international…

Service Trip to Poland

Conversational English, Volunteer Voices Poland

A Lesson Worth Learning Over and Over Again, Even at Age 58

Are you searching for a meaningful yet reassuring volunteer opportunity? Ease into a service trip to Poland! Global Volunteers engages individuals of every generation, ethnicity and walk of life on our Poland Service Program to help teach…

Little New Year

Cultures and Traditions China

What Is Little New Year and Why Do the Chinese Celebrate It?

China Country Manager Bao Li Wang talks about the most important holiday for the Chinese, the Spring Festival, and the Little New Year celebration on January 20. The Lunar New Year, known as the Spring Festival in China, is the most…

Volunteers Become Judges of a Kolam Competition in India

Cultures and Traditions, Volunteer Voices

Volunteers Become Judges of a Kolam Competition in India

India Volunteers Erich and Katie recently were recruited by local families to judge a kolam competition outside Global Volunteers' guest house in Chennai, India. This is their report: Today was a very special day as it started the Pongal…