Hello everybody!

My brother (young 20s, pre-vet undergraduate student in the US) and I (mid-20s, graduated, not in veterinary science at all, from the US) want to do a volunteer trip abroad together. He's never been out of the country (I've been to a couple different countries, including a 2-year stay in Europe for a mission through my church), so I told him I would take him and we'd go do some volunteer work together. We decided to make it an animal care / veterinary volunteer trip, since he loves animals and it will also look good on his resume for when he applies to vet school.

I was wondering if any of you have any recommendations for us, especially considering our situation (he being a vet student, and I would just be an untrained volunteer). If you can recommend any specific organizations, that would be great! Or, if you have general recommendations for such a trip, that is also great!

Let me know! Thank you!

Hey everyone,

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Out the gate I already knew that the line of communication was gonna be an issue.

Make sure you get a guarantee contact for the group or person you’re helping! Discuss meetup location and times!

But no issues I showed up introduced myself and I let them all know I’m not shy and I’m here to help so they shouldn’t be shy either asking me for assistance. I did 3 hours of setting up booths and tents for a 5k 10k charity race, I’m also a participant for the race too!

All in all it was a solid experience can’t wait for the race later tonight!

Understand that a lot of volunteer work is for highs schoolers and criminals, humanitarian workers as well but it’s something to consider when getting a gig bc the group thought I was an ex convict due to prior experiences.

Volunteermatch.com is a solid resource

News from Washington State:

The Mount Rainier National Park Associates completed their first volunteer project of the year on Saturday April 27 at Carbon River. 21 volunteers spread gravel to fill in holes, cleared the beginning of the Chenuis Falls Trail, and prepared the Ranger Falls viewpoint for new railings. Thanks to these volunteers the trails are already safer and more accessible for 2024! Visit our website and click on the "Volunteer" link to find out how you can help with future projects.

NPS/K. Bacher Photos taken 4/27/24:
Mount Rainier National Park Associates volunteers help prepare the Ranger Falls viewpoint for a new railing, clear a path for hikers along the Carbon River at the start of the Chenuis Falls Trail, and make the Carbon River Trail more accessible by filling potholes with gravel.

https://preview.redd.it/geleivykb8yc1.jpg?width=1193&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6b5599127823593bc6d9e7407d0e951990b92a8c

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Annual reminder to all the folks who post here looking for summer volunteering in the outdoors that includes housing - what you are looking for may be a paid gig, rather than volunteering. Like this call for a Cave and Karst Assistant at Great Basin National Park in Nevada.

https://conservation-legacy.breezy.hr/p/2c5cc7c382af-cave-and-karst-assistant

Found it because of this Facebook post:

https://www.facebook.com/GreatBasinNPS/posts/pfbid02XPtfxdt8akBCKPGrJFQsjjZXe1ryYdTGjjE4giRmn9KBvGWuAZisw7LP5229zBHNl

I follow a LOT of National Parks on Facebook, and they regularly post short-term jobs, as well as volunteering gigs, on their pages.

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For example - a trip where you go to Costa Rica, Africa, Sri Lanka, etc to 'volunteer' with 'conservation efforts' like surveys and counting animal sightings, taking drone footage of sand dunes underwater etc. No direct interaction with any animals involved, just diving/snorkeling to photograph/take surveys of fish and wildlife and seagrass and things like this.

I'm interested in learning about marine conservation and these, on the surface, seem like a good way to get some hands on experience and learn 'within the field'. But, are trips like these ethical? If they are ethical, are they useful at all - will what I learn on one of these trips actually be applicable as a marine conservationist (or useful to the cause), or are they mostly just gimmicks to make the paying customers feel like they're doing something important...?

I have tried to research this matter, but most of the discourse and information I can find is in the context of voluntourism abroad in schools or wildlife sanctuaries and stuff like that.

The only opportunities (that I can find, at least?) anywhere near me are community beach cleans. Which I would like to partake in, but I want to do something more as well. If they're any good, I'd like to go on one of these trips. But I don't want to contribute to or partake in in any sort of hamrful voluntourism or anything like that, which is why I'm asking this.

Feel free to give me as harsh a reality check as I need lol. Sorry if it's a stupid question. Thanks :)

From the Project Gutenberg and Distributed Proofreaders Mastodon accounts:

Do you enjoy reading? Join the DP Smooth-Reading Team & be a part of making free e-books available to everyone. Simply visit our SR Pool, select a book that interests you while making notes of possible errors in the story or its format. When you finish reading the book, just upload your list of potential errors to the project manager. If you start reading a book & find it you don't like it, just choose a new book & start a new one.

https://www.pgdp.net/c/tools/post_proofers/smooth_reading.php

Project Gutenberg and Distributed Proofreaders are the oldest virtual volunteering initiatives in the world.

Hey folks - have been seriously considering a major career pivot for a while now, as my current career leaves me very unfulfilled.

I volunteer for several different orgs already and have for a while, but ultimately haven’t found any volunteer work that sufficiently scratches my itch to make an impact in my community.

Some volunteer work I prefer to others, but none where I feel like I’m really doing the sort of work I’ll be super proud of on my death bed. More like “that’s a nice thing to do” type of stuff

The downsides of the career change i am considering are immense, so I’m tempted to stay, view my job as nothing more than 40 hours a week in exchange for a paycheck, and use my ample free time to volunteer and find satisfaction that way.

What are some of the most fulfilling volunteer experiences you’ve had? Do you think if I feel this way the only thing that could make me feel satisfied is using my career, not just my free time, to support causes I care about?

Thanks for the input!

Hello! I just applied to volunteer as a Crisis Counselor through Crisis Text Line. I’m wondering what the chances are of me being accepted. I’m currently pursuing my Bachelor’s in Psychology with a Concentration in Mental Health and I thought this would be a great way for me to get some real world experience. A few questions I have are:

-How long did it take for you to find out if you were accepted?

-What was the training like?

-What was your experience like as a Crisis Counselor?

I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s experience :)

I am unemployed and looking for places to volunteer at while unemployed to help add to my resume while I search for a job. Any tips or tricks will be appreciated?

I have an interview to volunteer for a nonprofit soon. In the application, I stated that my hour commitment is between 10-15 hours per week. Is that too much for only two responsibilities I signed up for (ie, illustrations for social and occasional blog posts) ?

I also am concerned that in the future I may not have the same amount of availability. If that were to happen, would switching to 5-10 hours per week be too little ?

This is a year long commitment btw. Thanks in advance.

ENGin is a nonprofit organization that teaches Ukrainian students english. it runs off volunteer work, connecting volunteers to students. after a brief interview, volunteers are matched to a student, and meet weekly online. i have been part of the program for ~4 months, and i can honestly say it's amazing: you make a difference in the world, and get to make a new friend while you do it. sign up here: https://www.enginprogram.org

Im 21 and really want to volunteer and see other states this summer but it seems like im late to the party or no where fits my availability being 5/25-8/25. Do anyone have suggestions because im fine with literally anywhere as long as it has housing, I can socialize/work with others and the flight there is cheap or paid for but I would also prefer something outdoors.

If you are part an organized group - a university class or club, a social or community club, a community of faith, a company, etc. - or even a regular volunteer with a local Habitat for Humanity in your own community, you are eligible to take online trainings and become Habitat for Humanity Global Village Team Leader, and then be eligible to apply to lead members of your group on a Global Village program trip abroad!

Keep in mind that these aren't voluntourism trips - your group will partner with local people, who will be the leaders in the project.

https://www.habitat.org/volunteer/travel-and-build/global-village

Letters from Madagascar: Nothing here is easy

"I'd like to say that living in Madagascar has made me strong, but even the 12-year-old girls put me to shame."

In Madagascar, Peace Corps Volunteer Vanessa is partnering with women farmers to promote sustainable farming that decreases hunger in her local community.

https://www.sunjournal.com/2024/04/28/letters-from-madagascar-nothing-here-is-easy/

Hi there. I am a freshman and I want to find some good official virtual volunteer places but I just cant find any that would be good to put on my college application.

Please suggest me places I can volunteer that's virtual.

Thanks.

My wife and I (retired and healthy) would like to find a volunteer opportunity in the U.S. for a week or so to help a community or non-profit, where our skills could be useful. An animal situation would be cool, or maybe disaster followup or? We have a small travel trailer to stay in or could find our own accommodations.

For National Volunteer week I wanted to share my experience with ENGin! For the past five months I have been volunteering with ENGin as an English tutor, and teaching my speaking buddy has been such a valuable experience! Not only has she grown, but I have as well, learning so much about the Ukrainian culture that I never would have known otherwise. As we meet twice a week, me and my buddy have become friends. We talk about our daily life, passions, and aspirations for the future. I am so grateful to be able to volunteer for such a great cause while having so much fun! Please consider volunteering with ENGin as well. You won’tregret it!

If I volunteer a hospital will I be eligible for a PVSA? Just wanna make sure.

I have a few hours every day and I would like to volunteer. However, I can only be 10 minutes away from the house.

Was wondering if there is anything I can do remotely.

I am interested in helping and/or educating people but I am really open to anything.

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From the Mammoth Cave National park Facebook page:

Meet Joanna — Community Volunteer Ambassador.

Joanna, a native of Tennessee, joins the Mammoth Cave National Park team from Cumberland Gap National Historic Park where she also served as a Community Volunteer Ambassador. Joanna will work with park staff over the next year to strengthen our Volunteer-in-Parks program by building #CommunityConnections through outreach and recruitment. She looks forward to helping engage local communities in meaningful service projects while also experiencing the unique features found both above and below ground in Mammoth Cave National Park.

The Community Volunteer Ambassador Program supports National Park Service (NPS) initiatives to expand community engagement and volunteerism on our nation's public lands. This partnership between the NPS Volunteers-In-Parks Program and the Stewards Individual Placement Program of Conservation Legacy places youth and young adults who aspire to future careers in service and conservation stewardship in internships at park sites throughout the country.

For more information about the work NPS volunteers do and how you can get involved visit: https://ow.ly/Mrnt50Rpu49

https://preview.redd.it/xyb595i7fvwc1.jpg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ecfd023113375697268b1c4bbd3e372134a9762d

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I just applied to volunteer (and now waiting for my interview) at the sports event and it will hopefully be my first time helping at any event. Is there anything i should be prepared for and are there any tips you can give me before i actually go to the event? Thank you!

From a comment on r/femaletravels

I volunteered at an animal sanctuary and it left me with mixed feelings. I am glad the org exist, but I think it changed over time to draw in profit. It can actually hurt local communities. It’s made me look at NGOs in a different light. Lots of local businesses in Cambodia will have notes about how they are helping the communities versus how the NGO (example) business is run. For example, I went to a restaurant in Cambodia that was run by an NGO to help lower income teens. They worked as staff, but their wages were kept until they hit a certain age. The idea was “they can’t be trusted”. The one run by locals, works with the teens instead of treating them like less than. It was less patronizing and more respectful. Sorry, I’m trying to figure out the best way to describe this. It felt colonizer to me. Often these groups come in with a “you’re doing it wrong this is how you should be doing it.” Versus working with communities and treating them with respect. It felt like do-gooder cosplay and I kind of feel ick for doing it. Especially if you are there for short periods of times. Lots of stories about kids that aren’t orphans in orphanages for these orgs to get money through volunteer tourism. Or farmers re-doing work after volunteers. Which is one of the things I experienced. I hope this is helpful. I don’t see myself doing this again. I did it for a month.

https://www.reddit.com/r/femaletravels/comments/1b5n5ye/comment/kt6f1ts/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

keywords: voluntourism

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These 4 Volunteers with disabilities were determined to serve

https://www.peacecorps.gov/stories/these-4-disabled-peace-corps-volunteers-were-determined-to-serve/

And I'll note that I had a co-worker with cerebral palsy who served in the Peace Corps in Central America - I forget which country. She walked very slowly and her disability is very obvious. She's also fluent in Spanish and one of the best office managers I've ever worked with. I've no doubt she was amazing in her role. She also busted a LOT of stereotypes through her service.

Are you passionate about making a difference in the fight against homelessness? Samaritan (www.samaritan.city/volunteers) is actively seeking dedicated individuals to join our cause. Even if you can only spare ~1-3 hours per week, your unique experiences and compassionate support can make an enormous impact on someone's journey home!

We have robust internal policies, terms of service, and procedures in place to ensure the safety of both our volunteers and the individuals we serve. The volunteer experience includes preliminary screening conversations, thorough onboarding programs for volunteers, and continuous monitoring of messages sent through our platform.

Here's how you can contribute:

👉 Share Your Story: Let your journey inspire and forge connections
👉 Pay It Forward: Guide others through their challenges
👉 Assist With: Housing, employment, and recovery
👉 Navigate the Social Safety Net: Offer valuable insights and support

Connect completely remotely—every message counts! Ready to join us? Comment below or DM for more info! Your Story Matters. Volunteer with Samaritan to make an impact!

How do people in this thread find volunteer opportunities that interest them? I am struggling to find things that both interest me and are legitimate.

I’d love to help out and assist where I can when I can how do I get started. Bc google doesn’t pull up actual volunteer work near me,