Community Partner since 1999.
In the fifth of a series of “Ripple Effect” stories, a volunteer referral led physician and mother of two, Laura Lee Swan, to a needed change for her family from their “Covid funk.” Following a Google link and social media search, she found Global Volunteer Tenley Zinke, who recommended volunteering on the Blackfeet Reservation in […]
Each summer, since 2000 (except for 2020), Global Volunteers has worked in partnerships with the Blackfeet people on community priorities – focusing on labor, elder services and family health and recreation projects. The first volunteer team in 2022 – 10 individuals aged19 to 73 – served from June 5-11. Thirteen service programs follow through early […]
Special education teacher Lynn O’Brien of Indiana volunteered on her first service program last summer on the Blackfeet reservation in Montana. Her mother had worked with indigenous populations in Montana as a young woman in the 1950s, and that drew curiosity in her. Here, she describes what her service projects were like and how she […]
When Don Nash and his daughter Cassidy first heard the term “volunteer vacation”, it seemed like a contradiction to them. Then, they heard about Global Volunteers’ service program with the Blackfeet Nation and thought it would be a good opportunity to give back as well as learn more about Don’s Native American heritage. They chose […]
Volunteer Team Leader Michael Harris first served with Global Volunteers in 2016 with his daughter, Alyssa. He immediately sought out additional ways to stay involved with Global Volunteers and attended Team Leader Training that same year. He has since led teams in Montana every summer (except during the COVID pandemic). Mike is a retired educator […]
In this moving story of her experience in service with the Blackfeet in Montana, Jessica Kohn of Philadelphia describes a “life-changing experience” learning about the talents and roles of the Blackfeet people and the welfare of their community. by Jessica Kohn It was Saturday, August 7, 2021, sometime in the late afternoon. We were driving […]
One a Peace Corps devotee in youth, retiree Chriss Hayden sought a meaningful way to volunteer outside her community. She chose service on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana to immerse herself in a culture and make a difference. Chriss prepared and served meals at the Eagle Shield Center, where she says she was able to […]
New York mother and retail professional Tenley Zinke recalls her excitement of discovering new project opportunities each day as a Montana volunteer. A highlight: Getting to meet local people in their typical daily routines. Read on for her description of a day’s volunteering schedule in Montana. By Tenley Zinke Volunteering on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation […]
The Blackfeet Reservation Program in Montana was initiated in 1999 by Global Volunteers Co-Founder Michele Gran and Blackfeet elder Dorothy Still Smoking. 2021 marks the 22nd year of Global Volunteers’ partnership with the Blackfeet Nation. Because of the pandemic, we were unable to serve on the reservation during 2020. But now, our community partners on […]
From the De La Salle Blackfeet School in Browning, Montana on the Blackfeet Reservation, our community partner Brother Dale Mooney sends Christmas greetings, with a reference to the comfort we seek in times of trouble. In a community suffering so many losses in 2020, he offers a “song to sing in our hearts.” In these […]