Tips for Volunteer Programs

RSVP is the largest volunteer program for senior citizens in the US. This program is open to those aged 55 and older, and gives them many opportunities to put their lifetime of experiences to good use helping others. Over 500,000 people across the country have joined RSVP in order to tackle some of the most difficult social issues in their communities.

RSVP partners with a wide variety of national and local charities to provide the maximum choice of volunteer opportunities for members in each community. RSVP provides flexible options to suit any schedule, and allows volunteers to choose the type of work they are most interested in. The organization also offers pre-service orientation and training , plus supplemental insurance coverage during your volunteer service.

Many volunteering programs provide options for world travel to those who are enthusiastic about helping out overseas and learning about other cultures. For example, a volunteer project in the Himalayas is available this fall in the Tibetan city of Dharamsala. This three week project features two weeks of cultural activates and sight seeing, as well as renovation work on a Tibetan school.

Volunteers in this program will conduct simple renovation work on the school such as tree planting, gardening, kitchen renovation, flooring work, composting, painting and similar projects. The third week of the program is dedicated to a trek through the mountains of Triund and Dharamsala. Accommodation is in shared rooms at a local guest house, and participants must be at least 18 years old. The program charges a fee of $310 on arrival to support the local partner organization.

Volunteers are needed for local programs in their own communities as well. For example, the city of Sacramento encourages residents to get involved in community volunteer work with city agencies such as the parks and recreation department, fire department, and many others. Volunteers help the city government by providing a wide range of expertise and services, while benefiting themselves by learning new skills and gaining a better understanding of how city government works.

Volunteers are needed to assist with a variety of special events, city tours, gardening, animal care, arts and crafts, and many other tasks. Both short and long term volunteer positions are available with city governments, including volunteer work at sporting events, fairs festivals and other public celebrations. Long term positions include work with youth and senior service agencies, as well as unpaid internship options for students.

Organizations like Amizade operate volunteering programs in exotic locations such as Brazil and Central Asia. The latest news on this organization is that they have been working to mobilize opportunities for community based volunteering in Central Asia, specifically in the regions of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Directors of Amizade took part in a recent American delegation to the region with the goal or promoting volunteerism. The trip was sponsored by the Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs, a division of the US State Department.

The trip was organized as an exchange program which also brought non profit professionals working in Central Asia to the US for a series of presentations and workshops on non profit management and operating volunteer programs.