One of my great passions is devoting my time and in many cases money to volunteer for organizations I believe in. I’ve met such a wide array of people, who always talk about wanting to take part in these programs but are never really sure, or are unsure how to go about it.
You need to find out what you’re interested in. Don’t do it for the sake of doing it because as selfish as this may sound you won’t actually get that much out of it, and in many cases, you won’t do as good of a job if you’re not as passionate. Once you’ve figured that out, you can look to the organizations that provide these volunteer roles. Just like on many other occasions your best friend is Google.
For me I always look for animal conservation programs, I’ve already participated in a Turtle conservation program in Greece and an Elephant conservation program in Thailand. So now I’m looking to organizations like Frontier who in addition to running animal conservation programs, carry out programs in community, construction, teaching and healthcare.
The reasoning behind me volunteering is because I want to give back in ways, too many places that are easily overlooked. The great thing about taking part in these programs is you meet like-minded people, who share a lot of the same passions and beliefs. In a lot of these cases, you spend nearly 24 hours a day with these groups for 2-6 weeks… it’s pretty hard not to get close and make friends for life.
What is great, is that it takes you out of your comfort zone. You can really figure out who you are away from your home, family, and friends. Every time I’ve taken part in one of these projects it’s changed me for the better, I’ve learned from other volunteers, project coordinators, and the new environments. Many times these projects take place in rural environments in third-world or developing countries, which are key factors in opening your eyes to the world.
From my recent research I’ve begun to see new types of organizations popping up, where instead of paying a fee to the select organization, you live with a local family in the area you are volunteering in. This is I think is a great idea because it immerses you in the community and allows you to take part in these programs when you can invest your time, rather than your money.
If you’ve already volunteered, let me know why and what you got out of it?
Any questions just ask me below, I’d be happy to help!
Wow this is so inspirational, and I love this! I’ve volunteered at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand too! And in an orphanage in South Africa. When you visit places like these you really do realise how lucky you are! Thanks for sharing and keep do keep up your passion for volunteering 🙂
I think volunteering is a very noble thought but I believe as Westerners we have to be very careful not to believe our own press and think we are world saviours. Travel porn is all around us and you must be aware that when you do volunteer it is NOT a photo op.
Hi! Great post. I completely understand the way you feel because we volunteered throughout Italy helping families. The program is called Workaway and we volunteered with three different families. We worked with them for five hours a day, five days a week and in exchange they offered us accommodation and food. Giving back and helping them always felt rewarding. You can check out our experience on our blog, titled “How we stayed in Europe for 77 Days” if you want to know more. Or you can reach out to me for any questions. We would love to volunteer and help animals one day too.
Volunteering is a really great way to see a whole different perspective on a place, and give back as well. It is really important to research your volunteer organization options. Unfortunately too many organizations are taking advantage of kind hearted people, to make a profit…
I haven’t volunteered yet. But I have promised myself to get involved once I am little freer from routine mandatory stuffs.
Great that you could participate in such conservation projects. I have to head to our east coast for the turtle saving program soon.
I would love to do some volunteering, it was the plan for this year until I badly broke my wrist and it’s probably off the cards for next year too. One day I will be able to get out there and do something worthwhile with my time 🙂
I’ll be doing some more volunteering next year and this has definitely inspired me!
Ive been saying I want to volunteer for years but never actually done anything about it. Im definitely going to do some type of volunteer program in south america next year. Thanks for the reminder of how important it is!
Love this! I volunteered for the first time through AIESEC in Brazil this past summer and it definitely changed my life forever. It was a 6 week project and we worked with the Carapina community to help the children receive quality education of values and other important topics.
I liked your perspective of Volunteering. Yes unless you are passionate about the cause, it does not really make sense. Volunteering for the sheer joy of giving back to the society is the ultimate experience.
I was always interested in volunteering. But somehow I couldn’t volunteer due to some or other reason. This will help me. Thanks for sharing.
Love this post and agree with everything you have said! I have been to Ghana volunteering for 3 years in row now, and i cant wait to go again next year! I really do believe that finding something you are interested in is key, as you said, otherwise you wont do your absolute best!