Jack Bryan, Global Volunteers Digital Media Coordinator, said he learned a lesson on “mothering” in Peru he couldn’t have learned anywhere else. Read his compelling story here: “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” Abraham Lincoln A growing body of scientific evidence reveals the extent that a mother’s […]
Barb Holdridge was intrigued when her good friend recommended a new type of travel. But, she didn’t know she’d also catch the volunteering abroad “bug” so quickly! Sixteen years and 10 trips later, Barb says that international volunteer travel is “the” way to learn from local people, build long lasting friendships, and have fun while […]
Judy Marx, a three-time Global Volunteer alumna, said an ancient Judaism tradition, Tikkun Olam (Hebrew for “world repair”), propelled her search for international volunteer opportunities. The world is imperfect, the lesson teaches, but is in our own hands to make it better every day. Judy and her husband John said they’ve since discovered that volunteerism […]
Freedom from career demands led retired college professors Sharon and David Moore of Arizona to Cuba with Global Volunteers. In an interview with Volunteer Engagement Manager Maggie Bjorklund, Sharon and David explain how retirees can explore Cuba, experience an intriguing culture, connect and engage with people, build bridges of understanding and respect, and do something […]
Forty years ago, Laura Tomlinson and Kim Berge worked together in Colorado Springs. They parted ways soon after college to pursue their careers – Kim attended a Physician Assistant program in CT and Laura pursued a graduate degree in Education in CA. They never lived in the same town again. Each got married, raised their own families, established […]
The benefits of volunteering are endless across the spectrum of life. Service to others helps us understand the world and ourselves, connect with people, impact events and make a difference. During her gap year, 18 – year – old Cassidy Richardson learned all these lessons and more in the Cook Islands with Global Volunteers. She […]
In her second installment, Vietnam Volunteer Diana Swansen reflects on how she and her teammates experienced compassion while volunteering in Hanoi, Vietnam. As an aviation trainer, she transmitted her passion for aviation to a classroom full of sixth-graders, fascinating them with maps and charts; and nurturing their dreams of become pilots. As a volunteer, she inspired her […]
Juliet Cooke from Wellington New Zealand said teaching at St. Joseph’s School in Rarotonga was a unique way to learn about the Cook Islands culture from the “inside.” In the classrooms, she helped students improve their reading and literacy skills and supported their teachers. In an interview with Marketing Assistant Millie Pinakoulaki, Juliet describes the highlights […]
Vietnam Volunteer Diana Swansen notices the “simple things” in life that remind her of humanity’s goodness. She offers her optimistic perspective with us, and her teammates, when teaching conversational English on a Vietnam Service Program in Hanoi. What is good taste? For most people, taste is simply a matter of flavor. But how do we experience goodness? For me, […]
A mention of Global Volunteers on our partner’s website moved an aspiring dental student and her dentist father to help meet the needs of families and children in the Reaching Children’s Potential (RCP) Demonstration Project in Ipalamwa, Tanzania. What followed her first call to our office was an impassioned appeal to her family, friends and […]