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, […]
The Rosebud reservation in South Dakota is one of poorest communities in the U.S. Our community partners in the reservation share their perspectives on the reality and needs of the community as well as ways to overcome these challenges. This is the story of their work to support the people of the Rosebud reservation and […]
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 […]
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 […]
Geri says serving in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba for two weeks with her daughter Bridget was a journey of discovery. Together they acquired new skills, explored a new culture, and learned something new about each other. Bridget and Geri share a few highlights of “volunteering as mother and daughter” with Marketing Assistant and Greece Country […]
Throughout her childhood, Cassidy Richardson was interested in learning about different cultures and languages. The more she learned, the more she felt drawn to help others while putting her growing understanding to work. When Cassidy turned 18, she decided to get out of the comfort of her home and volunteer in the Cook Islands. In […]
The inter-generational Appleby family group – grand-daughter Megan, father Mike, and grandfather Robert – joined together to volunteer in Crete with Global Volunteers. Their assignment? Helping elementary and middle school kids speak conversational English. Although Global Volunteer Alumni Robert taught conversational English to High School kids and adults on previous programs, he said enjoyed working […]
First-time Global Volunteer Denise Nelson Nash has always had a passion for volunteering. In Hanoi, Vietnam, she accomplished a long-held goal – teaching conversational English at the Vietnamese Institute for Development Strategies (VIDS). She shares her story here: “As a young adult, I lived and worked in Venezuela. Living in another country taught me the value […]
You can become part of a team of volunteer teachers and students in Crete. When you help the children of Malevizi with their English skills, you experience their culture through their lives and interests. Val, a Greece Volunteer, shares her journal entry recalling two unforgettable weeks of “summer language camp” with eager Greek students: “As […]
Rosebud Reservation volunteers share their team journal about Lakota culture on a South Dakota service program. Day Two in Rosebud – Yard Work After yesterday’s orientation, we arose today in anticipation of the work assignment. We headed out and gathered any tools we could find for the day ahead. We worked outside of a home […]