People of all ages and from all walks of life serve on Global Volunteers programs. You’ll find active retirees with a wide range of skills to share; all uniting in a common vision of global possibility.
Before Bob departed for a three-week service program teaching English to Chinese students in Xi’an, he did a self-check. He wasn’t a teacher, didn’t speak Chinese, but he had coached individuals and small groups on using English as a second language. Global Volunteers staff assured him he was positioned to make a difference. With only […]
Retired professor and avid amateur photographer Dr. Candice Francis and her husband Mike like to combine service work with their travels for pleasure. To celebrate their 42nd wedding anniversary this year they traveled to Ipalamwa, Tanzania to take part in the RCP (Reaching Children’s Potential) project. Here Candice shares her thoughts with her excerpt from […]
Retired special education teacher Mary Rowlette said she learned in the rural village of Ipalamwa that we’re all more alike than different. Her personal goal, she said was to help children, observe, support others and make a difference in July 2018. Read on for her interview with Greece Country Manager and Social Media Coordinator Sam […]
“A healthy mind in a healthy body” was an ideal first advanced by the ancient Greeks as a prescription for living wisely. Staying active physically and mentally in retirement is mentioned by many of our volunteers as a reason for service. In an online interview, five-time Global Volunteer Elsa Boykin, says volunteering enhances her well-being […]
Linda Noonan says teaching English to children as a volunteer abroad was an opportunity to fulfill a long-time dream. As a retired teacher from Illinois, she knew her knowledge and education were top-notch qualifications. So she was eager to try teaching students in a foreign culture and test her creative skills in many different ways. […]
Team #172 to Ecuador had the opportunity to visit the home of a child served at an early childhood development center in Calderón, on the northeastern-most border of the sprawling capital city of Quito nestled high in the Andes Mountains. The two centers where Global Volunteers partners in Calderón are for disadvantaged families, and mainly […]
20-time alumni Steve Fox is a retired teacher from Washington State who participated on his first Global Volunteers program in Minnesota in 2003. 15 years later, as a retiree and octogenarian, Steve has contributed 1360 hours of service on 20 service programs worldwide. Here he shares his reflections on volunteering in retirement. (pictured here with […]
Become part of a team of volunteer teachers and students in Crete this summer. When you help the children of Malevizi with their English skills, you experience their culture through their lives and interests. Val, a Greece Volunteer, offers a glimpse into her journal entry recalling two unforgettable weeks in July with eager Greek students: […]
Choosing to volunteer abroad in retirement can be the most fulfilling decision you make! Unencumbered by work schedules, you can respond to needs worldwide and in the U.S. as they occur, and be assured that your contributions are appreciated and useful. What’s more, the personal connections you make on a service program with Global Volunteers can be profound […]
International volunteer work is rewarding, and can be especially so in retirement. While giving back and helping others, you make new friends, learn about a different culture and get out of your “comfort zone.” Mature adults who volunteer report higher levels of well-being. Some studies indicate those that volunteer live longer than those who lead more […]