St. Paul, MN (Sept. 9) – Margaret & Don Good of Winamac discovered the biggest rewards come in the smallest packages while volunteering for two weeks this summer at Ciudad de los Ninos, a boys’ home in Lima, Peru. The couple helped paint the home’s bakery, prepared meals and cared for the preschool age children through Global Volunteers, a nonprofit, nonsectarian international development organization in consultative status with the UN and UNICEF
Getting to know the people and children of the Peruvian culture was a strong draw to the program, Margaret remarked. “Even though we speak different languages we were able to communicate and work well together. We became friends with the adults we worked with and I grew to love the children even though we were only with them for several days,” she said.
Now celebrating 25 years of partnerships worldwide, Global Volunteers pioneered short-term, community-driven service opportunities (aka “volunteer vacations”) in 1984. Working in 19 countries on five continents, the organization wages peace and promotes justice through mutual international understanding. Don said: “If everyone had the same opportunity to visit, our views of other cultures and nations would be drastically altered and the world would find it much easier to have mutual concern and understanding for each other.”
No special skills are necessary to join most Global Volunteers service programs – only a curiosity about the world, a desire to be of service, and a high degree of flexibility. Global Volunteers’ work projects are determined by the host communities, directed by local leaders, and generally focus on children. The four principal projects are: caring for at-risk children; teaching conversational English; building, painting and renovating community buildings; and providing health care.
Global Volunteers measures its success against the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals which address the serious consequences of poverty and improve the standard of living for millions of people. In Peru, volunteers contribute to UN goals by helping to reduce child mortality and achieve educational milestones.
Reflecting on her experience, Margaret was reminded of what a small world it is. “When you participate in programs like this you realize how much different cultures are alike. There are good, hard-working people all over the world and if the ignorance about other cultures was dispelled our understanding would make a much more compassionate world.”
Global Volunteers measures its success against the United Nations Millennium Development Goals that address the serious consequences of poverty and improve the standard of living for millions of people. In Peru, volunteers contribute to these goals by helping to reduce child mortality and achieve educational milestones.
“Global Volunteers invites people of all ages and backgrounds to serve in this unique way – to give back and make a genuine difference by working with and learning from and about local people in their community,” said co-founder and CEO Michele Gran. “This is Travel that Feeds the Soul®.”
To join a team, call 800-487-1074 today or visit the Global Volunteers website at www.globalvolunteers.org. Service program fees are tax-deductible for U.S. citizens. Airfare and visas are extra.
