GVN

The Ripple Effect: Terri Wingham’s Incredible Journey, Part 1

Terri Wingham with Two Children

Image source: Terri Wingham

Welcome back to our new interview series, The Ripple Effect. The Ripple Effect explores the emotional impact of volunteer travel and its lasting effect on people’s lives. Today we’re speaking with Terri Wingham, a truly inspirational woman. As a cancer survivor, Terri has been through one of life’s greatest challenges and has come out the other side, vibrantly alive and passionate about to helping others. She has found hope through volunteering.

In her words…

In the last year, I have become a cultivator of hope. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. Hope doesn’t make the misery go away or instantly transport you into a mythical utopia where unicorns frolic and vibrant rainbows ignite the sky. But, for me, hope is like holding onto a thick rope while walking through a dark cave. You can’t yet see anything, but you know that if you keep walking and keep holding the rope, you will eventually emerge out of the cold dampness of the cave and into the warmth of the afternoon sun.

Global Volunteer Network

Global Volunteer Network Volunteer in Kenya with Children

Image source: Globalvolunteernetwork.org

It’s a wonderful thing when entrepreneurs discover an important niche, especially when that niche serves the greater public good. Over the past few weeks I’ve explored several volunteer networks: sites that connect volunteers with projects that need their help. I don’t think we can ever have enough of these networks. With so many volunteer/voluntour opportunities out there, no single site can serve them all. These sites are critical for the industry. As we’ve explored before, they work like filters, sorting the good from the bad. And they also give volunteers a voice, allowing them to share their experiences and to continue giving back to the organizations they support. One of the volunteer organizations I found while researching one of these sites (GoOverseas.com) was Global Volunteer Network (GVN), a company that places volunteers worldwide. They have placed over 15,500 volunteers over the past 10 years.