~ Serve.gov (www.serve.gov) Established by President Bush in 2002, USA Freedom Corps
links individuals to local service opportunities.
~ Teach for America (www.teachforamerica.org) A vehicle for recent college grads to teach in
underprivileged schools across the US.
~ Volunteer Canada (www.volunteer.ca) With Volunteer Centres offering local service
positions throughout Canada, Volunteer Canada is one of the nation’s most prominent
forums on volunteering.
~ VolunteerMatch (www.volunteermatch.org) Over 40,000 American non-profit organisations
recruit through this site.
Australasian Websites
~ Volunteering Australia (www.volunteeringaustralia.org) This group spearheads International
Volunteer Day (5 December) and is the peak body promoting volunteering in Australia.
~ Volunteering New Zealand (www.volunteeringnz.org.nz) Promotes and supports volunteer-
ing in that country.
Volunteer Internationally...Again
For some, volunteering abroad just once is not enough. Whether you want or are able to
commit to another placement, depends very much on your personal circumstances.
Deborah Jordan and David Spinney, who volunteered in Ethiopia with VSO (p94), are
both retired, so have a little more time:
We are in contact with other returned volunteers and VSO in London, and have friends
in many parts of the world. We have recently been to a meeting to discuss strategies for
recruiting more ‘mature’ volunteers. And, yes, we have just re-volunteered ourselves and
are looking forward to discussing options with our placement officer!
Catherine Baroun, who has volunteered on a number of wildlife programmes with Earth-
watch (p171), says:
I can’t stop myself now. This year I am heading to Kenya with Earthwatch to do a Forest
Monkey Survey. Next year I am hoping to find a longer volunteering project to celebrate
my 40th birthday.
And as she explains, her volunteering doesn’t interfere with her full-time job:
Projects I have participated in have ranged from five to 13 days, so I have just booked the
time off work.
Martyn Roberts, who works full time but spends his holidays volunteering, is in a similar boat:
Having done one I knew as soon as I got back home that it was something I would do
again. I think I’ve become something of a volunteering addict. Since my first expedition in
November 2002, I have always had the next one planned.
However, a short-term conservation or wildlife programme that you can easily fit into a
busy professional life is very different to a long-term development placement. Kate Stur-
geon admits:
Yes, I’d definitely like to do another volunteer placement but I needed to have a substantial
rest when I came back. I felt quite exhausted by the whole process, however positive it was,
and I really felt I needed to recharge my batteries before going again. I also have commit-
ments in my current job and have to give two months’ notice before leaving, so I think I
will go again but not until next year.