Stories from students, retirees, working professionals, couples, families, groups, solo travelers, first-time volunteers, volunteer veterans and everyone in-between from more than 20 countries around the world. Learn about your favorite country in their own words.
Lee Park and Eric Tiffany have always wanted to give back through service and, for years, have been interested in the possibility of doing a long-term volunteer program abroad. With that in mind, they chose a two-week service program in Crete to “wet their feet” and gain a little experience for their future retirement; exploring […]
Dr. Hannah Nguyen returned from Tanzania driven to inspire colleagues to contribute their skills to rural villagers through Global Volunteers’ Reaching Children’s Potential (RCP) Program. Some of the following is excerpted from her story in the professional newsletter of the Southern California Child Adolescent Psychiatry Association. Read on to learn how you can advance the […]
Global Volunteers alumni and octogenarians, Wilma Bennett (above, left) and Popi Anastassatos (above, right), have been best friends since the late 60s. When in 2022 Wilma invited Popi to explore her Greek heritage on a service program, Popi was soon to join her. Read on to learn why they dubbed it “an adventure of their […]
Upon completing her 50th service program, Volunteer Coordinator Phyllis Thompson paused to consider what first motivated her in 2003 to join a Global Volunteers team, and what inspires her to enable others to serve. We asked her to share with us her insights as a volunteer, team leader, and employee of Global Volunteers. What advice […]
Seeking purpose through service, and more than a bit curious about her Italian heritage, first-time volunteer Susanne DiBianca joined Global Volutneers in Castelvetrano, Sicily to give back, and get back to her roots. Her service adventure in Sicily allowed her to explore the homeland of her ancestors, experience their culture, and practice basic Italian with […]
Nine-time Global Volunteers alumni Linda Roberts says from an early age, the concept of the Peace Corps inspired her. As she neared retirement, she sought out similar programs with a shorter time commitments. Global Volunteer’s policy of inclusivity encouraged her to inquire how she might share her skills with similarly inclusive partner communities who need […]
During a week-long adventure in service, eleven-year-old Fletcher and his mother, Christie, found gratitude for each other and the Cuban people through volunteering. They learned about themselves and a different culture by leaving their everyday life behind to embark on a volunteer journey. Even though Fletcher is only eleven years old, he flourished while serving, […]
Andy Kingman has volunteered for many organizations over the years, including raising money for blood cancer cures, participating in the Avon Three-Day Breast Cancer walk, and serving annually with the Big Sur International Marathon. But as a former teacher and marketing professional, she wanted to do some classroom volunteering to help young people prepare for […]
Global Volunteers’ 177th volunteer team in the Cook Islands was the first to return after COVID. The team included a teacher, military veteran, former World Bank employee, birdwatcher, three-time Cook Islands volunteer, and a college librarian and grandmother who brought her eleven-year-old grandson. They brought oceans of experience and passion to change the world, sometimes […]
Iowa Development Director and Global Volunteers Alumna Ann Sweeney has found a familiar second “home” in Ciego de Ávila, our partner community in Cuba, which will again host volunteers after a nearly three-year pandemic suspension. On her last service program in 2018, Ann rekindled connections with “old friends” in a community garden, where team members […]