Community Partner since 1999.
We’re always grateful for volunteers’ emails and letters expressing sincere gratitude for the opportunity to authentically experience their host culture, and to serve those who live there. Some – as Tenly Zinke expresses here – gain life-changing perspectives. A mother of two daughters, Tenly said she learned about Native American tribes in third grade, and […]
American Indians historically suffered through epidemics brought by foreign invaders that, time after time, nearly extinguished them. So, the current pandemic is not as much an existential threat for the Blackfeet Nation, as another layer in the understory of chronic health concerns rooted in decades of deprivation. Strict quarantine regulations since March have greatly safeguarded […]
Ellen Shenkarow decided to spend her time in retirement helping where necessary through volunteer work. She volunteers with Catholic Social Services helping refugees and asylum seekers in Tucson, Arizona. This summer Ellen, a retired ESL teacher, wanted to spread the spirit of “doing good” with her family and teach her grandson what life is like […]
Food insecurity may sound like an issue for developing countries, but it actually affects most of the population on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, especially seniors. This is the story of how Global Volunteers working alongside the community is fighting food insecurity and caring for seniors. Ensuring every household has enough to eat is an […]
Judy Marx, a three-time Global Volunteer alumna, said an ancient Judaism tradition, Tikkun Olam (Hebrew for “world repair”), propelled her search for international volunteer opportunities. The world is imperfect, the lesson teaches, but is in our own hands to make it better every day. Judy and her husband John said they’ve since discovered that volunteerism […]
2019 marked the 20th anniversary of Global Volunteers’ service to children, elders and families on the Blackfeet Reservation of Montana. We’re very proud of our long-standing relationship with the Blackfeet people, and look forward to 20 more years and beyond! Initiated by Global Volunteers Co-Founder Michele Gran and Blackfeet elder Dorothy Still Smoking in 1999, […]
Monday, September 3: We Spread Out on Community Projects by Sarah A titch, a scoatch, a smidge, a squizzle. We all pitch in. Working hand-in-hand as volunteers on the Blackfeet Reservation. We started our week on the Memorial Day holiday – so many of the “standard” Global Volunteers project sites are closed for the day. […]
Volunteering gives you the chance to be a part of something bigger than yourself, find purpose, and use your civic responsibility for the greater good. On a Global Volunteers service program, you can provide hands on help to communities in need around the world. Without the help of volunteers, our partner communities would struggle to […]
A letter to students who are thinking about joining a Global Volunteers student volunteer program – from Jed Pettit, a Montana volunteer and recent University of Alberta graduate. Jed shares how his service experience has been beneficial to his future career. Why I feel my student volunteer program was beneficial to my future… Many young people […]
Journal from Jed, a volunteer on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation: There is a fire that burns on the Blackfeet Reservation. It has been burning for over a century. You can feel its heat, you can smell its smoke, and yes, like most North Americans, you can do nothing about it. Or, if you can find […]
Global Volunteers 2020