Motivated Couple Volunteering Worldwide Reflects on Impact of Service

Global Volunteers Bill and Barb Chase have served together in Ecuador, Tanzania, Montana, West Virginia, St. Lucia and Costa Rica since 2006. This couple volunteering worldwide exemplifies the opportunities to discover the world – and each other – together through service. Bill, a retired physician/surgeon, and Barb, a retired teacher, are loved and respected by their team leaders, teammates and the local people, both young and old.

Bill writes:

“All of my Global Volunteer projects have been “labor” projects in one way or another. In Tanzania, I worked with the local physician and then covered for him while he was away for a week. In West Virginia, I worked with “at risk” youth helping them winterize houses for poor individuals. In Montana, I worked with the grounds crew of the Blackfeet Community College. In Ecuador, I did maintenance work for a day care center. And in St Lucia, I helped single mothers make earthbox gardens. I love to work and feel great to have the opportunity to get to know people of other cultures.”

Couple volunteering worldwide - in St. Lucia

Bill and St. Lucia kids planting an EarthBox to grow healthy vegetables.

Bill and Barb are stellar Global Volunteers whose optimism, flexibility and hard work are huge assets to all the program they serve on. Maggie Bjorklund, Global Volunteers Costa Rica Country Manager and Team Leader reports:

“They worked incredibly hard on the landscaping project, where they helped clear and prepare the land for planting, dug holes for planting, put in the buckets and planted. Bill’s help in the tire turning process was phenomenal, and Barb’s organizational and artistic skills enhanced the ice cream bucket painting project! And Barb enlivened the conversational English English classes of Sergio Méndez, a teacher at Colegio Técnico Profesional de Santa Elena. He said he loved having Barb on campus – noting her enthusiasm with his students.

Everyone at Colegio was very impressed with all that was accomplished over the course of the two weeks and how much progress was made on the project. It was a sheer joy having Bill and Barb on the team!”