Community Partner since 1995.
With crystal-blue bays, soft sand beaches, breathtaking views, and a care-free island “beat, ” it’s easy to see why people choose to volunteer on our island volunteer vacations. Although these are some of the most beautiful places on Earth, the poverty on these islands is often hidden from the average tourist. As a volunteer, you provide […]
Lynn has volunteered in Greece three times in the last four years. Having fallen in love with the country, Lynn tells us why you should volunteer in Greece as well. Why Volunteer in Greece, as Lynn tells it: Greece is a welcoming, warm country. The weather is just great, sunny and beautiful. And there is the […]
By Lynn Lotkowictz, 3-time Greece Global Volunteer. Volunteering in Crete Three times in Fours Years So I’m volunteering in Crete this week for my third Global Volunteers trip in four years. Same program, same location. Why? The country, though economically struggling with continued high unemployment, remains peaceful with a beautiful landscape and welcoming culture. One of the […]
by Jennifer M., Greece Global Volunteer. My teammates from week one having moved on, I was the only volunteer for summer English school the second week of my program in Gazi. Although I was a little daunted by this idea, and missed the company and conversation with my previous teammates, Sam (the Greece Team Leader and […]
Today was the end of a full week—a week of teaching and learning for all of us. The word “bittersweet” came up a few times this morning at breakfast for Meghan and me on our last day of teaching. Last walk by the blue morning glories, the black dog, and the fig trees on […]
Global Volunteers salutes Andy, Lucy, Anna and Alice Kligerman, who have served twice as a family on the island of Crete, in Greece, where they taught conversational English to summer camp students. It is obvious they made learning productive and fun for their students and each other! Andy writes: “We selected the teaching program in Crete, because […]
By the end of the school session today we were more than halfway through our week of service. By now we are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of our students. Their school teachers and earlier Global Volunteers have served them well. The students in the upper class can recognize English words that they […]
Since early 2016, Global Volunteers Crete teams have been called upon by local authorities to help meet the needs of Syrian refugees in Greece. To date, volunteers work packaging and sorting donated clothing at the port of Heraklion, and preparing filled boxes for shipping to Athens. One team’s story: More than a million refugees and migrants have traveled across […]
Today in Greece the Greeks celebrate Clean Monday ” Kathara Deftera” which marks the end of the carnival and the beginning of Great lent. It is called this because Christians begin this season with “clean hearts and good intentions”. Due to the fact that this day is also considered the first day of Spring families gather together for picnics […]
Christmas or (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 for Christmas in Greece as reported by Greece Country Manager Sam Pinakoulaki: Kalikantzari During the […]