The cost of volunteering

First of all, you should know that volunteering costs money. Even when you military volunteer for an organisation in your community, you have disbursal. For illustration, when you military volunteer at a local animate being shelter or literacy program, does the organisation pay for your transportation system? Your meals? Your rent? Your wellness insurance? Likely not. When you military volunteer overseas, you cannot expect the organisation to pay for these things either. When look for a military volunteer opportunity, keep in mind you will likely have to pay for your own airfare and room and board.

A assortment of beginning are available to help you find military volunteer opportunities. The best are your library, the net, and passage Abroad mag. Alternatives to the Peace Corps, How to Live Your Dream of Volunteering Overseas, and military volunteer Vacations are resource books that you can find at most libraries. They list a assortment of organisation looking for military volunteer of all types. Explain to your local bibliothec what you want to do, and he or she should be able to provide you with plentifulness of info.

Some of the best beginning of military volunteer information on the net include: Action Without boundary line, www.dreamer.org; GuideStar, www.guidestar.org; military volunteer Match, www.volunteermatch.org; SERVEnet, www.servenet.org; Best Bets for Volunteering Abroad, www.cie.uci.edu/~cie/iop/voluntee.html; International Volunteer programme, www.volunteerinternational.org, and TransitionsAbroad.com's .

Other beginning include your local Christian church or temple. Also, talk to your local traffic circle, Lions, Kiwanis, and Optimists clubs. They do a lot of international work and have connexion overseas. Moreover, many provide financial aid to military volunteer abroad. If you don’t have the time to do the research yourself, an organization such as the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service (www.cnvs.org) will help you find a volunteer placement for a nominal fee.

When applying to volunteer with an organization, be very specific about the kind of service you can provide them. Many people call me up and say, “I just want to help.” This is a very pleasant sentiment, but when I ask, “What can you do?” many respond with, “I don’t know, what do you need?”

Just because you want to help doesn’t mean that you can. Many nonprofit organizations are underfunded, understaffed, and overworked. You must prove to the organization that you will be an asset—and not a drain—by convincing them that you understand their needs and have the skills and ability to truly help them.

It is not a wise idea to quit your job with the idea of volunteering right away. Finding a volunteer position overseas takes time. You must be persistent and patient. There is a reason why there is such a long period of time between when you apply, get accepted, and actually join the Peace Corps. Wisely, they want to ensure that your commitment to volunteering is genuine and not just a whim. It is neither fair to the people you are volunteering with nor to yourself if you are not serious about your commitment to serve.

If you have already made plans to travel, work, or study abroad, and you want to volunteer as well, I suggest bringing your resume and a generic cover letter with you. To find volunteer opportunities when in a foreign country, go to the local church or synagogue. Even though you may not be of the same faith, these institutions are often familiar with local health, education, and welfare organizations. Again, you may want to try the local Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions Clubs—international organizations with chapters all over the world.

Volunteering should be fun and rewarding. Go with an open mind and an open heart; you will return enriched with a better understanding of yourself and the world around you.

Daniel Weiss received his PhD in Educational Policy from the Univ. Of Minnesota. He is the founder of Amizade (www.amizade.org).