making planning progress

It’s been a busy weekend in the (206). It may seem like I’ve been kinda quiet the past few days, but I’ve been deep in the throes of planning logistics for The Global Citizen Project, plus heaploads of spring cleaning (four garbage bags of clothing, shoes and accessories have been unloaded so far). Thankfully, it’s all starting to come together and I have lots of fun stuff to report.

I planned TGCP on a shoestring budget and have been reaching out to sponsors for some of the basic essentials and supply needs. The response has been far better than expected and many companies have been generous with their support. I am posting a permanent link to all companies that sponsor TGCP, but since I’m a gal all about instant gratification, I gotta say thanks to Magellan's, Naturally More™, Pramex® Mosquito Nets, EcoSMART and BOGS Footwear for their support.

I’ve also been a busy bee mapping my grandmaster volunteering plan and scouting smart airfare options. So far, here are the projects that have been confirmed:

Building a Future in Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Karikuy in Lima, Peru
Playa Las Tortugas in Nayarit, Mexico
Eco Volunteer UP Foundation in Quito, Ecuador
Domitila Wildlife Reserve in Domitila, Nicaragua
GeoVisions, Conservation Partner Program in Los Chiles, Costa Rica
Youth Care in Seattle, USA

In other miscellaneous planning news, I applied for my International Driver’s Permit and signed up for a free Homeless Teen course in Seattle. I also purchased six months of Travel Insurance through World Nomads (via Access America). All backer rewards have been sent (pending recipients have sent me their mailing address; I've followed up twice and shy from kicking into mommy mode - it's just not my style), except for postcards or tsotchkes from the 12 project destinations.

I also got the cutest wedding invitation from my friends Kelly and Paul who are getting hitched in New Orleans next month. Thank goodness for Hotwire for cheap last minute hotel rooms and frequent flier miles to get me there. I’m not normally a wedding attendee kinda gal, but admit, I’m over the moon to celebrate with these two. Congrats! I heart New Orleans.

Stay tuned as the planning process comes together in the upcoming weeks. I'm spending more time than expected to make smart planning decisions and thank you for bearing with me. Stretching a $20,000 budget to cover 12 volunteer projects in 12 countries takes some creative effort and I want to be 100% certain that I'm devoting my time and efforts to be best suited projects for my talents. So far, so good. I am beyond jazzed about TGCP. Thank you.

the value of a volunteer

Randy LeGrant, Executive Director of GeoVisions, a US-based organization that offers volunteer abroad programs, work and travel, teach abroad, and wildlife conservation projects, does an excellent job explaining the role of a volunteer, the responsibilities of the project coordinator and how I will impact the 12 communities I serve. Thank you, Randy, for taking the time to comment on this topic. I really appreciate your insights and hope it lends some clarity to those who may be unclear of the vital role of the volunteer.


From Randy LeGrant:

As the Executive Director of GeoVisions (we send thousands of volunteers abroad each year), we work hard everyday to staff 70 projects globally. The notion that a volunteer can do no good unless they commit to a really long project is an argument we are dedicated to eradicating.

It isn’t the VOLUNTEER who is sustainable. It is the project. If I have 3 hours to volunteer at the local food pantry, I might never go back. But the food pantry had me for 3 hours to help unload a truck. The local food pantry will be here years from now. It is the project that is sustainable. Next week I might volunteer at a soup kitchen for 2 hours. I’ll be gone. The project will be there. The notion that we have to dedicate weeks or months to one project for our volunteering to be worthy is wrong. And it sends a negative message to people who are PLANNING to volunteer and now might think they are not doing enough.

I’ve personally looked over the 12 projects Ms. Pfeuffer plans to make a part of her life. She is:

• Giving up a year of her life to help others

• Calling attention to voluntourism through her writing and Kickstarter

• Making her trip “interactive” by listening to her readers about which projects will receive her

• Dedicating a lot of time to researching available projects and asking lots of questions

I head up a voluntourism organization, and if I had to choose to send one of our volunteers to one project for a year or 12 projects over the year I’d suggest to them the latter. In fact, you cannot volunteer with GeoVisions longer than six months.

Again, it isn’t the volunteer who is sustainable. The volunteer helps for a day, a weekend, a week or a month. Even gap year kids move around – usually 3 to 4 projects in a year.

Lastly, Ms. Pfeuffer is a writer. Her talents will be used to call attention to 12 projects in 12 months. I would love for her to be on one of our projects because not only will she write about it from first-hand experience, she would be able to tell us where we could strengthen the project and that is always information any project needs.

$20,000 for 12 months? I dunno. I look at one of my competitors here in the U.S. just down the road from me and it costs $4000 for a month. If Ms. Pfeuffer can do a year on $20,000, that is a story all on its own.

I don’t want anyone to think volunteering is based on how long you can contribute your time. Or that it is the volunteer who has the responsibility of sustainability. We place college study-abroad students on weekend projects. We have people call us from tours asking us if they can volunteer for a day – most recently a magician we sent to a school for a day (after his references were checked out). We send people for a week. And for six months. It is the responsibility for the project and for the project sponsor to make certain the work is sustainable. It is for the volunteer to lend a hand.

Volunteers always go abroad thinking they will change the world. Even those who are on site 6 months may return home disappointed that they leave behind a project still in need. That’s normal. That is part of the process, and from my perspective, Charyn will learn that on her own, if she is funded. She has some lofty goals, and some won’t pan out. Some will change and go in other directions. And she will have helped a lot of people, she will have written for a year and inspired a lot of people, and she will come home a different person.

You go girl.

Randy LeGrant
GeoVisions

making commitments

I'm in end-of-the-year mode, trying to wrap up several projects, check off items still lingering on the "To Do" list and gear up for the final 54 days of fundraising for The Global Citizen Project. Planning this project has been a work in progress, evolving as I go along with your help, suggestions and insights. Thank you.

Since I'm guessing some people may not be keen to the idea of pledging to community volunteer projects to-be-determined, I'm trying to confirm and commit to which programs I most want to work with if The Global Citizen Project meets its $20K goal by February 22, 2010. I just broke the $3K mark, but still have a long way to go -- $16,944 to be exact. As of this moment, I've committed to three of the 12 volunteer projects and I'm currently in communcation with six others. Fingers crossed I can get details squared away with those organizations right after the new year. That leaves three projects left to nail down and I have a general idea of what and where I'd do and go for those blank spaces on my service dance card.

So far, here's what I have in mind for my 12 volunteer projects:

Project/program: Karikuy
Destination: Lima, Peru
Cause: blogging/social media for Perupedia
(confirmed)

Project/program: Building a Future
Destination: Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Cause: educational and social development of underprivileged children
(confirmed)

Project/program: GeoVisions
Destination: Costa Rica
Cause: teach English/tutor 9-14 year old children in underprivileged school/community
(confirmed)

Project/program: Reef Care Curaçao
Destination: Curaçao, Netherland Antilles
Cause: marine conservation
(waiting to confirm)

Project/program: Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza
Destination: Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Cause: abandoned/abused children
(waiting to confirm)

Project/program: Cocoon House
Destination: Everett, Washington
Cause: guest chef/preparing meals for homeless youth
(waiting to confirm)

Project/program: Volunteer Las Tolas
Destination: Las Tolas, Ecuador
Cause: environmental conservation
(waiting to confirm)

Project/program: Sleeping Children Around the World
Destination: TBD
Cause: provide bed kits to needy children
(waiting to confirm)

Project/program: UNICEF
Destination: TBD
Cause: children’s health/outreach
(waiting to confirm)

Three projects TBD: Looking for one in Europe, one that is parks/public lands related, and one more that I'm hoping I'll learn of via word-of-mouth. If you have any ideas for volunteer projects that may fit the criteria bill (or not), I'm all ears. Please feel free to email me or comment.