Saluting Global Volunteers With a Strong Passion for Service in 2019

Global Volunteers Alumni have been the “backbone” of the organization for well over three decades. Dedicated people who time, after time, after time have volunteered and continue to volunteer and support our host communities across the globe. In this first of a series of four posts throughout November (the month of “giving thanks”), we recognize these unique individuals: Alumni Volunteers, who during the fiscal year 2019, and those who served in 2020, reached their “milestones in service.”

We salute each and every one of you!

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“What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good.”

~Greek philosopher Aristotle (over 2300 years ago)

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Constance Crane’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in Poland in October of 1998. Connie has now completed 22 service programs:
Poland 13, Italy 2, Portugal 2, Greece 1, South Africa 1, Cook Islands 1, Mexico 1, Costa Rica 1.

Steve Fox first served with Global Volunteers in Minnesota in 2003. To date, Steve has served as a team member on a total of 21 service programs across the globe:
Poland 4, Cook Islands 2, Australia 1, Costa Rica 1, Mexico 1, Hungary 1, Peru 1, Ecuador 1, St. Lucia 1, Jamaica 1, Vietnam 1, Cuba 1. West Virginia 2, Mississippi 1, Minnesota 1, Montana 1.

Kathy Skinner’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in Ecuador in August of 1997. To date, Kathy has served as a team member or Volunteer Team Leader on 23 service programs:
Cuba 3, China 2, India 1, Poland 1, Ecuador 1, Tanzania 1, South Africa 1, Italy 1, Jamaica 1, Greece 1, Mexico 1, Vietnam 1, St. Lucia 1, the USA- Montana 3, West Virginia 1, Hawaii 1, Mississippi 1, and South Dakota 1.

Sue Travis first served with Global Volunteers in March of 2003 in Costa Rica. Since then, Sue has served another 19 times internationally:
Cook Islands 8, St. Lucia 2, Costa Rica 1, Ireland 1, Austria 1, Mexico 1, Greece 1, Tanzania 1, India 1, Vietnam 1, Portugal 1, Cuba 1.

LuRue Troyer’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in China in April of 1997. In total, LuRue has now served on 20 service programs worldwide:
China 3, India 3, Cook Islands 2, Vietnam 2, Costa Rica 1, Cuba 1, Poland 1, Ireland 1, Tanzania 1, Nepal 1, the USA- Arizona 1, South Dakota 2, Minnesota 1.

Sue Surma first served with Global Volunteers in Guatemala in March of 1989. Sue has since served as a team member or Volunteer Team Leader on a total of 27 service programs across the globe:
Cuba 4, India 3, Costa Rica 3, Ireland 2, Cook Islands 1, Vietnam 1, Guatemala 1, Ecuador 1, Mexico 1, Romania 1, Nepal 1, Ukraine 1, Peru 1, St. Lucia 1. The USA- Mississippi 4, West Virginia 1.

“If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever.”

~Kofi Annan

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Susan Brandler first served with Global Volunteers in July of 2002 in Greece. Since then, Susan has completed another 14 service programs with Global Volunteers:
Greece 8, Romania 7.

James May served with Global Volunteers for the first time in Portugal in June of 2008. He has now completed 15 service programs across the globe:
China 7, Poland 6, Portugal 1, Cuba 1.

Jane Burch first served with Global Volunteers in February 2001 in the Cook Islands. Since then, Jane has served on 15 more service programs worldwide:
Italy 3, St. Lucia 3, Greece 2, Portugal 2, Cuba 1, Vietnam 1, Peru 1, Hungary 1, Cook Islands 1.

Marta Wallace served for the first time in Vietnam in September 2002. To date, she has served on 19 service programs with Global Volunteers:
China 9, Hungary 4, Mexico 2, Greece 1, Cook Islands 1, Vietnam 1, Tanzania 1.

Jeff Rogo’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in Italy in October of 2003. To date, he has served as a team member or Team Leader on 16 service programs worldwide:
Vietnam 5, Cuba 4, Italy 2, Portugal 1, the USA- Montana 4.

Susan Koralik’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in the Cook Islands in 2008. She had served on 16 service programs before sadly passing in July 2020:
Vietnam 7, Cook Islands 5, St. Lucia 1, Cuba 1, Mexico 1, Portugal 1.

 “If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.”

~Betty Reese

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Mary Condon’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in the Cook Islands in 2014. Mary has now completed 11 service programs across the globe:
Cook Islands 6, Greece 3, Tanzania 1, the USA- West Virginia 1.

Gail Feagins began serving with Global Volunteers in Poland in 2001. Since then, Gail has completed a total of 11 service programs worldwide:
Hungary 2, Cuba 2, China 2, Poland 1, St. Lucia 1, Mexico 1, Vietnam 1, the USA- Montana 1.

Don Maher’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in Mexico in 2006. Since then, he has completed 12 more programs with Global Volunteers across the globe:
India 2, Mexico 1, Romania 1, Italy 1, China 1, Tanzania 1, Costa Rica 1, Vietnam 1, Poland 1, Peru 1, Cook Islands 1, Cuba 1.

Frances Gohlke Johansen began her adventure in service in 2011, serving in Peru. Fran has now completed 13 service programs with Global Volunteers worldwide: The Cook Islands 4, India 3, Peru 1, St. Lucia 1, Poland 1, Tanzania 1, Vietnam 1, Nepal 1.

Denise Hazelrigg first served with Global Volunteers in 1997 in Italy. To date, Denise has served on 12 service programs with Global Volunteers worldwide:
Romania 2, India 2, Nepal 1, St. Lucia 1, Greece 1, Peru 1, Italy 1, Cook Islands 1, Costa Rica 1, the USA- Montana 1.

Julie Knudsen’s first service program with Global Volunteers was in South Dakota in 2006. Since then, Julie has served as a team member or Volunteer Team Leader on 13 service programs across the globe:
Cuba 6, Vietnam 2, Tanzania 1, St. Lucia 1, the USA- West Virginia 1, Montana 1, South Dakota 1, Minnesota 1.

Judy Mammon first served with Global Volunteers in 2005 in Hungary. Since then, Judy has served on 13 other service programs worldwide:
China 4, Mexico 2, Vietnam 2, Hungary 1, Romania 1, Poland 1, Peru 1, Portugal 1, Italy 1.

Cora Thompson has been volunteering with Global Volunteers since her first service program in Peru in 2008. Since then, Cora has served another 13 times internationally:
Peru 8, Romania 3, Ecuador 3.

Susan Dietz began volunteering with Global Volunteers in 2015, serving in Italy. Since then, Susan has served on 13 programs across the globe:
Cuba 7, Poland 4, Italy 1, Nepal 1, Mexico 1.

Rod Supple’s first service program was in Poland back in 1992. Since then, Rod has completed 10 other service programs with Global Volunteers:
FEI 3, Poland 1, Ukraine 1, Romania 1, Ecuador 1, St. Lucia 1, Vietnam 1, Ghana 1, Cook Islands 1.

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 Alumni? 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 vision 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

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