http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org Global Volunteers 25th Anniversary Weblog Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:51:26 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Our anniversary year will culminate in a “Grand Gala” on Friday, December 11 in St. Paul, Minnesota. All are encouraged to join in the celebration!  Order your ticket on Nov. 17 and your donation will be DOUBLED by a Minnesota foundation. More Details http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=376 "Challenge is not a curse or a punishment, but an opportunity to shine. If life were easy all the time, we would not deepen in love, compassion, and wisdom, or learn how to sink a pipeline into the well of true strength within us. Often we do not ... http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=240 A few years back I was going through a rough period in my life. I had just finalized a divorce, albeit an amicable one, it is still something that impacts a person emotionally and physically. I was at a crossroads in my life as I had moved half way across the ... http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=236 I signed up for two week program serving in Xi'an, China working with local secondary junior high school students. It was very challenging to do lesson planning with so many words lost in translation. However, with all the guidance and fantastic country leadership management team from both Global Volunteers and ... http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=220 Throughout 2009, Global Volunteers is celebrating 25 years of genuine development assistance worldwide and the recognition of our 25,000th volunteer on the ground! In 1984, Global Volunteers began as a unique person-to-person program offering volunteer assistance on broad-based community projects, and grew to pioneer what later became popularly known as “volunteer ... http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=108 Through the Years: 1999-2003 In 1999, we celebrated a significant milestone: 15 years of international service partnerships amidst a growing field of "volunteer vacation" options! Given world events that, combined, threatened to forestall our consistent growth (Y2K, embassy bombings, global pandemic), Global Volunteers overcame each potential setback and persevered ... http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=88 Through the Years: 2004-2009 In the last five years of Global Volunteers' history, ever-increasing numbers of citizen ambassadors have reached out through short-term service assignments to extend international good will - and demonstrating the average American's generosity of heart. More and more "alternative travel" options have arisen worldwide to compete for the ... http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=85 Through the Years: 1994-1998 This period witnessed the "volunteer vacation" concept emerging into the mainstream.  A major sign of the growing acceptance of international volunteer service by "average" individuals was the ground-breaking partnership of Global Volunteers and Elderhostel of Boston, then the largest US organization providing ongoing learning opportunities for American ... http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=83 Through the Years: 1989-1993 Global Volunteers’ experienced and committed Board of Directors set out to demonstrate how true "people-to-people" initiatives in micro- economic and human development can succeed through a private, apolitical, nonsectarian organization. We chose our host partners thoughtfully, and prepared our volunteers carefully. We requested projects that could be ... http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=80 Through the Years: 1984-1988 Global Volunteers' genesis was the simple idea of waging peace by providing development assistance to local people in need. We began slowly, and experimentally, to encourage humanitarian-minded Americans to invest short periods of time living and working with people in developing communities. In this ... http://25years.globalvolunteersonline.org/?p=78