A mention of Global Volunteers on our partner’s website moved Maddy Aungst, 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. After appealing to family, friends, and their faith community for material support, the father and […]
Tim Cunniff and Keith Kresge are Global Volunteers “veterans.” Between them, they’ve served on 44 programs in 18 different countries – from Tanzania to the Cook Islands. Despite the obvious contrasts between these societies, they say one truth is common to all: People are more alike than different on a basic-needs level. But, how people […]
The spirit of Valentines Day is evident to Global Volunteers all year around – all around the world. These reports – in the words of our team members – tell of the human sentiments that can’t be captured on a greeting card. The Language of Love Mark Bierbaum calls his service in Peru “a joyful […]
Throughout 2019, volunteers provided greatly needed services to families in all corners of the globe, aided by Global Volunteers donors, institutional collaborators and corporate supporters. Following are highlights from a landmark year of volunteer-assisted development. Labor Projects in South America In March, an exclusive team of Medtronic employees committed a week to upgrading FUNDAC’s second […]
Four-time Global Volunteer Gemma Lewis has always been passionate about supporting children and their families. As a Children’s Care Coordinator with the National Health Service in the UK, she works with families of children living with severe disabilities to ensure they receive appropriate physical and emotional interventions. It was with this focus on practical support […]
Can one or two weeks on a service program truly make a difference to people in need? Our answer is yes! Short-term volunteers bring a long-term impact to the communities that we serve, and we have hundreds of alumni stories to illustrate this point. Perhaps, even more poignant are stories shared by our international staff, […]
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 […]
2019