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.
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 […]
Alumni Karen Isaac had just retired from 30 years of teaching elementary school when she saw “the most amazing photos” of Global Volunteers in St. Lucia posted on Facebook by her friend Gila Cohen-Shaw. An enthusiastic Global Volunteers alumna, Gila had “crowdsourced” the funds for her service program and encouraged Karen to follow suit. What […]
A friendship that includes a shared dedication to service is one that is sure to last. Californians Linn Joanis and Melody Covay have volunteered on four service programs together since 2015, and they have no intention of stopping. They first served together in the Cook Islands, and then went on to serve in Greece in […]
Many volunteers fundraise for their service program contribution by working with Global Volunteers staff to create a fundraising page. It’s easy to do! Volunteers commonly tell us that they were joyfully surprised by how many people in their lives wanted to support their volunteering — and did. Here, Don Diehl shares his story of how […]
Time and again, volunteers report that the community-based service they provide on Global Volunteers’ programs is both impactful and meaningful. These online reviews on GoOverseas by volunteers who served in Ecuador reflect their appreciation for their volunteer experience. Read more on their site and leave your own review to inspire others to follow in your […]
When Cisco increased volunteer time off for employees from one to two weeks, Carolyn Philippe jumped at the opportunity to combine her love of international travel with volunteering. In October 2021, after not having been able to travel for almost two years, Carolyn participated in her first service program with Global Volunteers. Fully vaccinated and […]
Just like other island countries, St. Lucia’s economy basically rests under one single industry: tourism. Endowed with gorgeous beaches and other natural wonders, approximately 1.5 million tourists visit St. Lucia every year to enjoy a piece of paradise. At the end of January, five volunteers returned to the island for the official resumption of the […]
Six-time Portugal alumnus Donn Rance was eager to return to service in Beja last fall after not having been able to serve in 2020 due to the pandemic. During this service program, he worked with many students who had never had a Global Volunteer in their classroom before. Here, he shares what it was like […]
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 […]
In this moving story of her experience in service with the Blackfeet in Montana, Jessica Kohn of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania shares why she sought to serve in this location, dating back to a childhood promise. In what she describes as a life-changing experience, she talks about approaching this experience with a beginner’s mind, without assumptions or […]