Volunteering

International Student Volunteers

An International Student Volunteer in Thailand

Image source: Lifetimeadventure.tumblr.com

Students are some of our most important volunteers. These are young people, excited to learn and to grow, often having their very first experiences overseas. College is a time of transformation, when children become adults. It’s a time when we learn about ourselves: how we learn, who we want to be, and what matters most. When I think back to what I was like before college, I remember feeling scared, like I didn’t have the stuff to be bold and outgoing. I relied heavily on my parents. I wanted desperately to be independent but didn’t know what that meant, or how to achieve it. College helped me to mature, but travel was what really challenged me to think deeply about life choices and to ask myself a very important question: how was I going to save the world?

Ken Budd: Living a Life that Matters

Ken Budd with School Children in Ecuador

Image source: Travel.nytimes.com

Why do we volunteer? We want to help. We want to leave the world in a better place than we found it. We want to matter. Sometimes, we want to heal. I’ve explored the many ways volunteering helps teach a person to be a global citizen, and the many ways it enriches the spirit: helping others, seeing your work improve lives, seeing yourself through the eyes of people from vastly different worlds, feeling the connection we all share. But I haven’t explored how we can use volunteering to find ourselves—to put our pain and suffering in perspective, to get outside our own heads, and to process grief.

Charity: Water

Charity: Water Poster - 4,500 Children Will Die Today From Water-Related Illnesses

Image source: Provoc.net

Water is perhaps our most essential resource. It comprises 60% of the human body, 70% of the human brain. Worldwide, a billion people lack access to clean water and yet, in the US, we waste it watering our suburban lawns, taking luxurious baths, letting it run when we brush our teeth, or filling our swimming pools. We waste more resources when we bottle water and pay exorbitant amounts of money for the privilege of drinking it. Industrially, we use obscene amounts of water to cool waste, pressure-wash equipment, or filter materials. According to Water.org, an American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day. Clearly, this is unsustainable, irresponsible, and dangerous. A billion is a difficult number to conceptualize: try one in nine.

Globe Aware: Adventures in Service

A Globe Aware Initiative in Ghana

Image source: Jessieonajourney.com

I always wonder how much volunteer/voluntour organizations listen to their volunteers. It seems like a no-brainer—the volunteers are on the ground doing the job, they’re a voluntour organization’s bread and butter—and yet, in many cases considering the opinions of the volunteers is an afterthought. Voluntour organizations have a lot to think about. They’re managing projects in communities where local people may or may not agree with their methods. They’re fundraising, politicking, and promoting their companies. Still, at the heart of every good volunteer organization are the volunteers themselves.

Groupon Grassroots: Deals for Voluntouring

A Map of Groupon Grassroots' Earth Day Projects, Nationwide

Image source: Grassroots.groupon.com

You may be familiar with Groupon, the online company that offers daily local deals to consumers. It’s a great service. For example, mine was a tale of woe. I’ve always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon but at $375 dollars, I couldn’t justify the expense. I never thought I’d get up there, soaring above the tree tops. Enter: Groupon. I’ve used it for all sorts of purchases, from bed sheets to Beach Boys tickets, and I’m not alone. Groupon partners with businesses to offer outstandingly deep discounts on valuable goods and services. Until yesterday, that’s all I knew about the company. As it happens, Groupon has dipped its inexpensive and convenient foot into the world of voluntouring, to rave reviews.