With 7 votes, we have decided to volunteer for
Habitat for Humanity in the Gulf Coast to help rebuild homes for those affected by Katrina. We will be working in the
Musicians’ Village and are to report to the intersection of: N. Prieur and Alvar Sts. for our exact assignment.
Posts
Maybe go to the gulf to help rebuild that area:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.habitat.org/gulfrecoveryeffort/volunteer_opportunities.aspx
Also, Chris suggested volunteering at Camp Lutherlyn
ReplyDeleteI've heard a lot of great things about this camp and have known people that have counseled there in the past, (including some of the people on this list), but I have a reservation about doing a religion-oriented program since there are people from various backgrounds interested in volunteering. Also, since I helped with children last summer, I'd sort of prefer to try something else this year.
I've done H4H a couple of years ago in Alabama. It was an amazing experience. The people there were so welcoming and a lot of the other volunteers were from surrounding churches and universities. We actually camped out in a church youth center for free and had a kitchen to cook our meals in. I would definitely do another H4H trip, but am open to other things too. My biggest dilemma is when the trip will take place being that I will be starting a new job soon.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds amazing! Yeah I had seen on their site that there would be a possibility for free housing, which would be a huge help for our finances! Thanks for the input, if we do do HH, your expertise will come in handy! Good luck with the new job. :-)
ReplyDeleteChris posted this under "When" so I wanted to repost it here to make sure you don't miss it:
ReplyDelete"There is a Mexican orphanage right over the border that I have wanted to volunteer at. You don't need a passport or anything and it wouldn't cost that much. Chris O'"
I like the Idea of the orphanage in Mexico. I'd like to hear more about it. Dee said she'll post a URL.
ReplyDeleteI shot Chris an email asking for more info so hopefully we'll hear more soon. :-)
ReplyDeleteOkay, Chris O' again and I have some info.
ReplyDeleteTHE MEXICAN ORPHANAGE is called Caring Hearts Ministry, http://www.caringheartsmexico.com/ The founder's name is Harold McKemish, phone 412-767-5500. I have heard from several people volunteers are desperatly needed and it is a wonderful refuge for orphans.
BEST FRIENDS I have volunteered at Best Friends, a 3,000 acre sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. It is located in beautiful Kanab, surrounded by red rocks and canyons. Both times I volunteered it was a wonderful experience. You can choose what you want to do, they have dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, horses (and hooved animals). This is the place featured on Animal Planet's Dog Town. Very cool place. http://network.bestfriends.org/volunteer/news/22640.html. This can be a nice overall trip, we would fly into Las Vegas and would see Bryce and Zion in our trip there/back. They have dorms and local hotels and you can take animals overnight for sleepovers.
Thanks Chris!
ReplyDeleteKim Mishkin also just suggested the "Village Vitality" trip through Hands Up Holidays to Northern Thailand. You can read more at http://www.handsupholidays.com/tours/village-vitality
Since we've now decided on "Where", I'm moving the runner-up ideas here so we can have them for future reference but it doesn't confuse anyone by being on the homepage.
ReplyDeleteB. Camp Lutherlyn: Pittsburgh area
This is a Lutheran camp about 40 miles north of Pittsburgh. Not sure exactly what volunteer opportunities are available since they have a big staff of counselors on hand, but they do say on their site that they do have volunteers and provide board for them so if there is enough interest in this, we can look into it.
C. Caring Hearts Ministry: San Luis, Mexico (2 Votes)
This is a ministry in Mexico, right across the border from Arizona, with several volunteer opportunities for mission trips including construction, evangelism, humanitarianism, etc. They operate several orphanages, soup kitchens and churches in the area. There is dorm housing available.
D. Best Friends Animal Society: Kanab, UT (2 Votes)
Located about 4 hours from Vegas, (we would probably have to fly into Vegas and then drive out), this is one of America’s best known animal welfare rescue groups. A key component of Best Friends’ work is operating Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the nation’s largest no-kill safe haven for displaced, homeless or unwanted domestic animals. This is also the home of the "Dogtown" series on National Geographic. Volunteers help feed the animals, clean their living areas, groom them, take them for walks, and socialize with them. There are cottages and cabins available for discounted rates for volunteering.
E. Village Vitality: Northern Thailand
This trip fully immerses you into northern Thai culture and includes 3 whole days of volunteering by teaching English, sports or other subjects at the local community school, doing simple construction or maintenance work, or helping with farming. This is more of a commitment than the other options, lasting 15 days and costing over $2,000.