10 of the Best Volunteer Abroad Organizations

Volunteering is becoming more common place in the United States, and while there will always be more to accomplish locally, there are also ways to serve world-wide. Consider voluntouring or volunteering abroad.

Here is a list of reputable agencies that offer numerous experiences:

1. GO ECO

WHAT: If you love travel and are passionate about planet conservation, Go Eco is your resource for pairing your hobby with meaning.
JUST CAUSE: Challenged communities, wildlife and the environment.
WHERE: All over the world.

2. GLOBAL CITIZEN YEAR

WHAT: A bridge year program that places graduating seniors in projects in far-flung and challenged regions. Global Citizen Year's mission is to cultivate prospective societal leaders and social entrepreneurs, giving them experience and tools to create impact.
JUST CAUSE: Various projects in challenged regions.
WHERE: Brazil, Ecuador and Senegal.

3. ONE WORLD 365

WHAT: Self-described as a “directory of meaningful holidays and travel opportunities”, One World 365 offers a wide variety of volunteer and offshore temporary holiday jobs.
JUST CAUSE: Various.
WHERE: Worldwide.

4. WWOOF

WHAT: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, or WWOOF, is a global network of organizations that matches volunteers with organic farms worldwide. In return for volunteer work, hosts provide food and accommodation.
JUST CAUSE: Organic farming.
WHERE: Worldwide.

5. BUNAC 

WHAT: A large variety of volunteer, work and summer camp programs is available on Bunac, an organization that has been around the block since 1962.
JUST CAUSE: Various.
WHERE: USA, Canada, New Zealand, Ghana, Australia, Britain, China, South Africa and many more.

6. AMERICAN HIKING SOCIETY 

WHAT: The American Hiking Society runs volunteer vacations in the form of trail building projects in the US. If you love the outdoors, you’ll love this opportunity to explore - volunteers enjoy backpacking or hiking tours provided by the host agency or organization.
JUST CAUSE: Building trails in public American land.
WHERE: All over the US.

7. GLOBAL VOLUNTEERS 

WHAT: A pioneer of volunteer vacations organizations, Global Volunteers was founded in 1984 - that is, long before it was a trend. It has since been recruiting short-term volunteers for various projects overseas.
JUST CAUSE: Projects for the benefit and welfare of children and youth.
WHERE: All over the world.

8. GO VOLUNTOURING

WHAT: A user-friendly search engine for volunteer abroad projects culled from a variety of organizations.
JUST CAUSE: Categories include Community Development, Environment & Wildlife, Learn Abroad, Teach & Coach Overseas and Women & Youth.
WHERE: Worldwide.

9. PROJECTS ABROAD

WHAT: Projects Abroad one of the more large-scale volunteer abroad organizations out there; it matches volunteers with a tremendous range of projects worldwide. According to their website, they cater to volunteers aged from 16 to 75; as it turns out, there's a growing interest in volunteer abroad projects among retirees and career breakers.
JUST CAUSE: A variety of projects from archeology and building to sports and medicine.
WHERE: Worldwide.

10. GEOVISIONS

WHAT: GeoVisions offers opportunities for volunteering abroad alongside paid English teaching and au-pair gigs.

JUST CAUSE: Various.

WHERE: Worldwide.

Summer - A Great Time to Volunteer in the Cedar Valley

Summer – A Great Time to Volunteer in the Cedar Valley

By Anne Nass, Communications Coordinator, Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley

Summer brings to mind sunny days, baseball, picnics, and vacations. Why not consider engaging in your community during the summer months through volunteerism? Think about connecting with a local non-profit agency and giving of yourself. Here are some ways to define how you might go about perfecting the ideal volunteer opportunity:

Think about your interests. Consider looking for a group focused on issues you feel strongly about. This is a good place to begin your volunteer experience. If you’re not connected with such an organization, contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley for assistance in making a match. There is no end to the creative avenues for volunteering, just as there is no end to the need for volunteers.

Consider your skills. If you enjoy being outside, spending time with children, or enjoy interacting with people you may want to look for volunteer work that incorporates these characteristics of your personality. Many positions require a volunteer who has previous experience with certain equipment, or possesses specific skills, such as an ability in athletics or communications. For one of those positions, you may wish to do something similar to what you do on the job during your workday, or something that you already enjoy as a hobby. This sort of volunteer opportunity allows you to get involved immediately without having to train for the opportunity.

Try something new.  Perhaps you would like to learn a new skill or gain experience in a new situation. Consider a volunteer opportunity where you'll learn something new. Volunteering to work on the newsletter for the local nonprofit will improve your writing and editing abilities-skills that may help you in your career. Or volunteering can simply offer a change from your daily routine. For example, if your full-time job is in an office, you may decide to take on a more active volunteer assignment such as gardening or building a playground. Many nonprofits look for people who are willing to learn and embrace new activities.

Combine goals. Perhaps your personal goal is to lose weight. Consider volunteering in a setting where you will be physically active. If you’re interested in learning about plants, consider volunteering for a local arboretum.

Don't over-commit. Make sure the volunteer hours you want to give fit into your life. You don’t want to exhaust yourself, frustrate your family, shortchange the organization you're trying to help, or neglect your job. Do you want a long-term assignment or a one-time opportunity? If you are unsure about your availability or want to see how the work suits you, find out if the organization will allow you to start volunteering on a limited basis until you get the feel of things.

Non-profits have specific needs. Many non-profits have specific qualifications that may need to be met. The volunteer opportunity may require a driver’s license, use of your personal vehicle, insurance, specific training, a background check, or previous experience.

Volunteer as a family. Think about looking for a volunteer opportunity appropriate for parents and children to do together, or for a husband and wife to take on as a team. When a family volunteers together the experience can build relationships and teach children the value of volunteering their time.

Volunteer virtually. Virtual volunteering can also be a way for you to give time if you simply enjoy computers and want to employ your computer skills in your volunteer work.

Think outside the box. Volunteering takes many forms. People often think of hospitals, schools, or churches. Keep an open mind. Consider day care centers, public schools, halfway houses, community theaters, drug rehabilitation centers, retirement centers, homes for the elderly, meals on wheels, soup kitchens or food pantries, museums, art galleries, youth organizations, sports teams, after-school programs, shelters for battered women and children, historical societies, and parks.

Volunteer! Bring your sense of humor and your willingness to help to your volunteer service. Volunteering is in itself an invaluable gift but what you get back will be immeasurable!

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley represents 152 nonprofit agencies with approximately 140 volunteer opportunities. Call or visit the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at 272-2087, information@vccv.org or www.vccv.org for a complete listing of volunteer opportunities in the Cedar Valley!

Summer Volunteering: Service Stay-cation

Are your friends going to exciting places for summer vacation while you have to stay home?  Are you depressed that you have no money for that plane ticket for an exotic vacation?  Do you think summer will be boring?

Never fear, we have a solution to cheer you up and make this summer memorable. This summer you have an opportunity to build self-esteem, develop problem solving skills, gain experience as you build a resume, and learn the value of helping others.

Volunteer in the Cedar Valley!

Interested in volunteering this summer because you want to try something new, gain some experience in a certain field, earn service hours, give back to your community, or just to get out of the house? Take a look at some of the opportunities below:

·         Cook meals for Catholic Workers House: Make at home, freeze and deliver

·         Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanic Gardens: Clean flower beds, water

·         Cedar Valley Association of Soft Trails: Clean trails

·         Hartman Reserve Nature Center: Clean trails, assist with property and trail maintenance

·         Northeast Iowa Food Bank: Sort food donations, stock shelves, pack food packs, and assist with weeding, watering and picking produce from community garden.

·         Country View Care Facility: Play games with residents

·         Grout Museum District: Assist with one-time events, help with mailings

·         North Star: Take part in crafts and activities and play games

·         Salvation Army: Help prepare and serve noon meal

·         Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging: Design and create cards, placemats, and other decorations to go with delivered meals

Here are some other ideas you can do on your own!

·         Make play dough and take to day care center

·         Volunteer to bag cat and dog food or make fleece blankets and pull toys for the Cedar Valley Humane Society

·         Collect cans and bottles to give money to agency of choice

·         Have a lemonade stand or bake sale and give money to agency of choice

The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley has 152 member agencies with over 140 volunteer opportunities. To get involved call the VCCV at (319) 272-2087, email, or visit www.vccv.org

Find (or create) your ideal volunteer opportunity

There are a couple of key steps to finding—or creating—a volunteer opportunity that meets most if not all of your criteria.

Step One: Identify potential partner organizations

You may want to volunteer for an existing organization, or start your own volunteer project. It's worth it to first check and see what already exists. Review opportunities at www.vccv.org. You may decide to join another effort, or just learn more about the landscape — who is already working on your issue, and what are they doing? How is your project distinct and unique? As you walk through this first step, keep track of volunteer opportunities that catch your eye, but don't yet spend too much time researching them or dwelling on the details.

Think about organizations you already know and trust

What organizations are you already familiar with? For example, have you donated money somewhere? Is there a particular group you admire? Are there local organizations that have a great reputation in your community? These are generally good places to start—especially if you're a first-time volunteer—as you're likely to already know a bit about them before seeking to become a part of their team.

Talk to friends, colleagues, and family

Ask around within your own personal and professional networks to see what potential places come highly recommended.

Where do the people you know and care about volunteer? Where have your friends and colleagues had great or not-so-great experiences? If they work for a government, faith, or nonprofit organization, do they currently have opportunities for volunteers that you might want to check out?

Check out any local volunteer centers – The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley!

Many communities — especially larger urban areas — have some kind of volunteer center where you can find volunteer postings. In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area, it is the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley, www.vccv.org.

Search online

The good news is that several great websites can help you find and explore opportunities to volunteer. Locally, it is www.vccv.org.

Step Two: Determine fit

If you're looking for a one-day only volunteer gig or something that you'll only do sporadically, you may not want to spend a lot of time researching.

Where might you best be able to contribute your particular skills and talents? Which will help you make progress on your own personal or professional goals?

Then, when you're done with Activity/Role, continue this process with: Time Commitment, Structure, Issue/Cause, and Other Considerations. Are any of these categories especially important to you?

When you're finished, go through the volunteer opportunities you identified as being of interest and pull out those that have the greatest number of checkmarks (feel free to also pull those that had fewer checkmarks but sounded particularly interesting).

Step Three: Get to know the organization and opportunity

The great news about volunteering is that there are numerous organizations out there to get involved with. The reality is that within this range will be some that are a great fit for you and some that will be not quite right—or even very clearly wrong—given what you are looking for. At this point in the process, start checking out the organizations behind the volunteer opportunities you've identified.

Your first stop should be their website. What is their mission? What programs and activities do they use to reach this mission? Are they affiliated with any organizations, faith communities, political parties, or universities you know?

Assuming no red flags pop up, the next step is to talk to someone at the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley:

·       What are the specific tasks and responsibilities of this volunteer position?

·       Will the volunteer for this position receive any training prior to getting started?

·       How often or long are volunteers expected to volunteer?

·       Is this something that volunteers can do in their own time or are there specific hours/shifts?

·       Who does this volunteer work with? Who will they report to?

·       What is the work environment like (office, outdoors, etc.)?

·       How will the efforts of this volunteer position help the organization serve its population, reach its goals, further its mission?

·       What benefits do they see for a potential volunteer who takes on this position?

·       What challenges might this volunteer face?

·       How would they describe the ideal volunteer for this position?

·       What is their process for accepting a volunteer? For example, many organizations will ask for an application; some may also ask for references and/or a background check (especially if the volunteer position works with vulnerable populations like children or homebound seniors).

Lastly, be sure to ask any questions that are specific to you; for example, building accessibility, physical ability required for the position, transportation options, accommodations for a restricted diet or certain religious/cultural practices, etc.

Step Four: Make a decision

So you've gathered all your info. You've assessed your interests and availability. You've identified some potential volunteer opportunities and you've held them up to your criteria to see which might be the best fit. Now it's all up to you to decide which one to try.

It may be that all these previous steps helped whittle down your list to one or two contenders. If not, take a look at the volunteer opportunities left standing and ask yourself which sound most interesting, fun, or challenging (or conversely, which might be boring or too difficult). If so inspired, you can even write the volunteer roles on pieces of paper, throw them in a hat, and draw one at random. Whatever your method for deciding where to start, it's time to dive in. After all, if it doesn't work out, you can always go back to the list or do a new search.

The bottom line is to choose the volunteer opportunity that best fits with your interests, availability, and goals.

So go on. Contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley for more information at (319) 272-2087, information@vccv.org, or visit www.vccv.org.