I'm thinking about volunteering...

[Buffalo]

Hi Mr Linkin,
Norfolk is a nice place, nice fresh air, lots of veg & sea... fact

[Lilmiss]

I volunteer.

I get paid.

[callum]

i think that's called a job

[Lilmiss]

nut, it's called volunteer work.

[DanB]

wrong theaf

[Lilmiss]

wha?

[DanB]

wha?

Sorry confusuion should be over

[callum]

i done some volunteer work before, i was forced into it by the job centre

[Lilmiss]

I do it every so often, but don't expect owt from it.
Changing light bulbs, clearing gardens, taking peeps to visit their spouse in hosp, listening to oldies who don't wanna go into counseling.....everything is good.

Makes ya feel fucking great, as well as helping some poor ole dear.
Volunteering day is coming up in May or something, btw.

[mildthrill]

Here's my two cents... I volunteered in India for 6 months so this is a little of what I learned about the foreign volunteer experience.

1- If it's really about helping people, don't go, just send your money. £2K is a shit-ton in developing countries that would be able to pay locals to do the same thing you'd be doing for a longer length of time and do it 10X better given that they know the language, culture struggles and so forth. This way you'd be doing more with your money by creating jobs while still providing the work required to foster change.

2- If it's the experience you want, stay out of the way the best you can. Be independent: Seek your own accommodations, deal with getting food on your own, finding your own transportation. People inside the projects should be spending 100% of their attention on the projects, not on worrying if their volunteers are happy and taken care of.

Um, I don't want to tell you do it or don't, but maybe that'll help?