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!

Reaching Children's Potential, Volunteer Voices

Global Volunteers Team 212 : Colegio Continues

This morning I woke to another well made delicious breakfast and the coffee I am now extremely addicted to. After breakfast we went back down to the school to work. While the group was working on the trail again I was shadowing with a…

Volunteer Voices Greece

Smarter than a fifth-grader?

Am I smarter than a fifth-grader? Joanna and Irini would say, "No way!" (I'm sure there is a Greek translation.)These 10- and 12-year-olds stayed with Kevin and me for their entire free period today, trying to teach us Greek words and phrases.…

Volunteer Voices

Let the service begin!

Message for the Day: "Although I long to accomplish great and noble tasks, it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as if they were great and noble. The world is moved along not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes but also by the…

Volunteer Voices Poland

Men achieve certain greatness unawares, when working to another aim

Message of the day: Men achieve certain greatness unawares, when working to another aim. (Attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson). Our first teaching day had a rainy start, but it didn't dampen our ability to teach and to teach in an enjoyable…

Volunteer Voices Montana

June 29 – Settling into a Daily Routine- Montana

Today our team split up into four work groups. Ally worked at the Blackfeet Community College library, where she continued cataloguing and helping the librarian with whatever she needed. Hannah, Tee, Sam and Leah went to the Care Center to…

Volunteer Voices

Not an Ordinary Day

Message of the day - Jennéa You can do no great things, only small things with great love. – Mother Theresa If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito. – Betty…

Volunteer Voices Montana

Discoveries of the Social and the Natural Kind – Montana

Going to Sunday services in a strange place seemed incredibly daunting at first today. We entered the Methodist Church, and the protective shell I had was shattered immediately as a woman came up to us with a big smile and welcomed us. We…

Volunteer Voices Montana

June 28 – First Impressions of the Rez in Montana

Driving into the outskirts of Browning, we noted what appeared to be an encampment of tipis and tents in the middle of a field. Michele, our team leader, explained that it was a Sundance -- an annual four to five-day ceremony held by the…

Volunteer Voices Italy

“You can’t stop the wave, but you can learn to surf.”

I spent the afternoon drawing pictures of American bathrooms since our adult students requested information about rooms in American homes. The energy seemed very positive tonight with regard to all settings: the high school, the Mission school…

Reaching Children's Potential, Volunteer Voices

Planting trees to off set carbon footprint.

Journal by Ella: All 3 of us were working on the project in the green house reforestation with the native costarrican plants... sifting the soil to separate it from stones, then filling small plastic bags with it. Small seedlings were…

Family Volunteering, Reaching Children's Potential

Team 209 : Global Volunteers Costa Rica at local highschool

Our team starts the day by digging posts to replace at the new greenhouse site. This new construction will house growth of the reforestation trees (planted at Colegio site and the Santa Elena Reserve) and hydroponic vegetable garden. Here…

Volunteer Voices Montana

June 8 – Daily Life with the Blackfeet in Montana

We started the day with a team meeting to discuss our assignments. The unpredictable weather reinforced the need for flexibility. The assignments for the day included: helping at the pool scrapping the paint off the walls, helping at the…