Saluting Global Volunteers With a Strong Passion For Service in 2019 (Part 3)

Congratulations and thank you to our third group of unique individuals who, during fiscal year 2019, reached their “milestones in service.” We recognize Alumni Volunteers who completed five, six, or seven service programs with Global Volunteers in this third of four posts in November (the month of “giving thanks”).

We Salute each and every one of you!

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Don Balaban’s journey in service began in August 2007 when he joined a team in Greece. To date, he has served on seven service programs with Global Volunteers: Greece, China, Tanzania, Cook Islands, Cuba, Vietnam, and Ecuador.

JoAnn Benjamin’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in September 2008 in the Cook Islands. JoAnn has now completed seven programs: Tanzania, Vietnam, Greece, Italy, Romania, Ecuador, and the Cook Islands.

Ron Berntson has a passion for the Cook Islands, having completed six service programs there since January 2013.

Mary Biedebach has served six times with Global Volunteers. Her first service program was in Mexico in 1996; Mary has also served in China, Ecuador, Peru, Cuba, and Montana.

Elsa Boykin began her journey with Global Volunteers in 2004, serving in Ecuador. To date, Elsa has volunteered three times in Ecuador and three times in Peru.

Barbara Boyle fell in love with Italy the first time she served there in 2011. Since then, she has returned to serve in Italy on five other teams.

Don Campbell has been a Global Volunteer since 2008 when he served on a team in the Cook Islands. To date, Don has completed seven service programs: two domestically, West Virginia, and Montana, and internationally in the Cook Islands, Greece, Vietnam, Peru, and Tanzania.

Marianne Choy has served on six service programs with Global Volunteers beginning with China in 2002. Since then, she has also served in Costa Rica, St. Lucia, Poland, Cook Islands, and Montana.

Holly Doll’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in Vietnam in 1994. Since then, she has participated in six more programs globally: Cook Islands, Cuba, Romania, Peru, India, and Nepal.

Kathy Durgin has taken part in six service programs worldwide. Her first, in Peru in 2014. To date, Kathy has served in the following countries: Peru, Romania, Tanzania, Vietnam, Greece, and St. Lucia.

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Dana Hoffman (Faust), who was initially a staff member at Global Volunteers, has either served as a team member or as a Volunteer Team Leader on six service programs across the globe: four domestically in Montana, and internationally in St. Lucia and India.

Kathy Forcey served in Mexico in March 2016 on her first service program with Global Volunteers. To date, she has either served as a team member or as a Volunteer Team Leader on six programs: domestically twice in West Virginia, once in both South Dakota and Montana, and internationally in Mexico and Cuba.

Pam Griffin left a piece of her heart in Tanzania when she first served there with Global volunteers in 2008. In total, Pam has served in Tanzania six times and in St. Lucia once. She is also an active member of the Global Volunteers Board of Directors.

Joan Hall has completed six service programs with Global Volunteers. Her first program was in China in October 2003, followed by service in Brazil, Montana, Cuba, Peru, and St. Lucia.

Michael “Mike” Harris’ first service program was in August of 2016 in Montana. Since then, he became a Volunteer Team Leader and has led a total of six teams in Montana.

Linn Joanis’ first adventure in service was in the Cook Islands in 2015. To date, Linn has completed seven service programs across the globe, having served twice in the Cook Islands, once in Cuba, and four times in Greece.

Ron Kirchen has been a Global Volunteer since 2008, when he served on a team in the Cook Islands. Ron has since volunteered twice in Portugal and Greece and once in St. Lucia.

Dean and Carol LaFrenz have been Global Volunteers alumni since completing their first service program in China in 2004. To date, and serving as a couple, they have volunteered on seven programs worldwide: China, Poland, Italy, Greece, St. Lucia, Cuba, and the Cook Islands.

Lois Levick first served with Global Volunteers in Mississippi in 2003, followed by Minnesota in 2004. Since then, Lois has completed five other teams internationally: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Ireland, and Cuba.

Kristine Nyland has served on a total of seven service programs with Global Volunteers. Her first in 2004 on a team to China followed by South Africa, Cook Islands, St. Lucia, Italy, Portugal, and Montana.

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

~ Barack Obama

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Laurie Pines’ first three service programs were in the USA, beginning in 1994 in Mississippi. This was followed by service in Texas, before returning to serve again in Mississippi. She then moved on to volunteer internationally, twice in Italy and once in Mexico and Portugal.

Leo Pyzynski’s journey in service began in Vietnam in 2008. And it seems Asia won his heart, having served on two more teams to Vietnam and two teams to China. He has since added Poland to his total of six service programs with Global Volunteers.

Karin Rakin first began her journey with Global Volunteers in Cuba in February 2017. Since then, and in such a short time, Karin has completed another six programs: three more in Cuba, two in Ecuador, and one in the Cook Islands in just over two years.

Kathy Rea’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in Cuba in 2013. Kathy has served in West Virginia and then led as a Volunteer Team leader on five domestic service programs, three in Montana and one in South Dakota.

Paul Seliga’s journey in service began in 2005 when she joined a team in Ukraine. To date, he has served on six service programs with Global Volunteers: Ukraine, Hungary, St. Lucia, Greece, Cuba, and Montana.

Ann Sweeney chose Costa Rica in 2006 for her first service program with Global Volunteers. Ann has served five more times: three times in Cuba and once each in Poland and Montana.

Ken and Suzanne Popp began their service with Global Volunteers together in 2016 in Cuba. To date, they have served on a total of six teams: twice each in Cuba and Greece and once in Romania and Tanzania.

Bud Weiner’s first adventure in service was in the Cook Islands in 2011. In total, Bud has served six times with Global Volunteers: three times in the Cook Islands, twice in Tanzania, and once in St. Lucia.

John and Barb Winters first served as a couple with Global Volunteers in March 2003 in Ecuador. To date, they have participated in six programs internationally: Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Romania and the Cook Islands.

Laura Young completed her first service program in Romania in 2008. Since then, she has served domestically in West Virginia and South Dakota, and internationally in Ghana, India, and Peru.

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Anne Benaquist began her years of service in China in 2007. Since then, she has served in the Cook Islands, Mexico, Vietnam, and St. Lucia.

Melody Covay’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in October 2015 in the Cook Islands, followed by a program in Cuba. But it’s Greece that’s won her heart. So far, she’s served in Crete three times.

Trevor Curry, one of our youngest alumni, began his adventure in service at the age of ten serving in Montana with his father. He has since volunteered in Montana four more times alongside family members.

Claire Falkner’s first program with Global Volunteers was in December 2008 in Peru. She has completed five service programs in total: three in Peru and two in Cuba.

Jane Harrison completed her fifth service program with Global Volunteers in March 2019 in Cuba. Before that, Jane volunteered in St. Lucia, Italy, India, and Vietnam.

Kurt Jaeger has taken part in five service programs with Global Volunteers. His first was in West Virginia in 2005; he has also served in Costa Rica twice and Cuba and Peru each once.

Sharon Knutson enjoys serving in our Latin American host communities. She first served with Global Volunteers in Mexico in 1997. Since then, Sharon volunteered two more times in Mexico and once each in Ecuador and Peru.

Tom Kromroy’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in Costa Rica in 2006. To date, Tom has served five times with Global Volunteers, in Costa Rica, Cook Islands, India, St. Lucia, and West Virginia.

“If you have the courage to connect with people from different races, nationalities, backgrounds, cultures, and regions, you have the power to bring about a change in the world.”

~ Germany Kent

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Laverne Lewis’ first service program with Global Volunteers was in Tanzania in 2012. She later volunteered in China and Greece before becoming a Volunteer Team Leader for two teams to Cuba.

Lynn Lotkowictz has a passion for Greece, having served our community partners in Crete three times. She has also volunteered in Cuba and Romania with Global Volunteers.

Priscilla Miles’ journey in service began in September 2008 in Hungary. To date, she has served on five service programs with Global Volunteers: Hungary, Greece, Vietnam, Poland, and Portugal.

Jo Carol Nesset-Sale fell in love with Asia after volunteering on two service programs in India. She has also served with Global Volunteers in China, Vietnam, and Nepal.

Linda Noonan’s first adventure in service was in Mexico in 2014. Later, she joined teams in Vietnam, Poland, Portugal, and Greece.

Lisa Thompson’s fifth service program with Global Volunteers was in 2019 in Greece. Before that, Lisa volunteered in the Cook Islands, Vietnam, Peru, and Tanzania.

Annie Weissmann’s first service program was in China in 2007. To date, Annie has completed five programs with Global Volunteers: China twice, and once each in Peru, Cuba, and Tanzania.

We are incredibly grateful and proud of you – valued team members and the most inspiring and influential ambassadors for Global Volunteers. We thank you for the dedication, love, knowledge, and compassion you have shown our community partners worldwide.

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Are you a Global Volunteers Alumnus? Did you know that while waiting to serve again in the field, there are still ways you can help us spread the word about our programs and outcomes?

• Join our Facebook Alumni group and follow us on our Facebook page.
• Share your Global Volunteers’ experiences with friends and family via social media.
• Become a Global Volunteers “blogger” and write about your adventures in service.

For more information contact mbjorklund@globalvolunteers.org