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!

Volunteer Voices

Real Progress Delights and Surprises Us

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” -Ambrose Redmoon Today started out with the nice relaxation we all needed: We watched the Aristocats and Cars (In Romanian,…

Cultures and Traditions, Free Time Options

Kancheepuram – Pondicherry – Mahabalipuram

Up early on Saturday in anticipation of our adventure to Pondicherry. We are leaving Chennai in high spirits with flowers in our hair. The road out of town is filled with new construction of apartment houses and businesses to meet Chennai's…

Volunteer Voices

A Good Week

Today is the end of our first official week as Global Volunteers in Chennai, India and what a week it has been. The culture that seemed so overwhelming when we first arrived is starting to feel like the norm. The group working at Assisi…

Volunteer Voices

Where Would They Be?”

"No matter what our differences are, we all look at the same moon." – Anonymous Today, we met with Dan before our first day of volunteering at the Children's Hospital. Carolyn, Tabatha, Justin and I were anxious to begin our day…

Conversational English, Reaching Children's Potential

Getting Our Feet Wet

Our first day of classes. We set out in 2 teams with excitement and trepidation. Steven had given us a description of the schools and number of students to expect, but we did not know what level of English we would find in our students.…

teaching English to Vietnamese students

Conversational English, Volunteer Voices Vietnam

Teaching English to Vietnamese Students is an Act of Love for Vietnam Vet

Jim Gorski, a Vietnam veteran and volunteer from St. Paul, MN, describes how teaching English to Vietnamese students with his wife Mary Lou enabled him to "pay a debt" to the country's people. After serving with Global Volunteers in 2014,…

Volunteer Voices

Traveling is a Prime Way to be Rich in What Matters

"Traveling is a prime way to be rich in what matters. I just returned from eight days in Costa Rica, tired and happy from my first volunteer vacation." Alison Wiley of Oregon just got back from a week of volunteering in Monteverde, Costa Rica…

Cultures and Traditions China

March 12 – China’s Arbor Day

March 12, 2014 is the 36th Chinese National Arbor Day, or Tree Planting Day. The day commemorates the passing of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, China's democratic revolution forerunner, who died on March 12, 1925. On this day, the whole country is…

Volunteer Voices Vietnam

Our Blind-Link Connection

Global Volunteers Ha Noi Monday, 11 March 2014 The day started with the usual welcoming greetings from the staff and local volunteers at Omamori Spa. Tom, Keith and I, joined by our respective volunteer interpreters/helpers, took…

Volunteer Voices

Bracelets for the Girls and Elephant Masks for the Boys

Message For the Day: Making Strides; Friends and Elephants Another two day blog and then hopefully a final one before I leave for the U.S. very early Saturday morning. I see the beautiful children at St. Thomas Hospital making progress…

Volunteer Voices Vietnam

Vietnam Service – March 2014

With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, our Nguyen Binh Khiem high school team of Robert, Barbara and Marilyn lurched our way by taxi through the rainy, chaotic traffic of Hanoi trying to breathe calmly as the cars and motorbikes competed…

Cultures and Traditions China

Learn From Lei Feng!

March 5th marks the 51st anniversary of the death of Lei Feng. Lei Feng, a young Chinese soldier in the 1960s, is known for devoting his spare time and money to helping the needy. Lei died after being hit by a falling pole while helping…