Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others, 10th Edition  
  • Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others, 10th Edition

copyright Chicago Review Press

Volunteer Vacations: Short-term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others

by Bill McMillon, Doug Cutchins and Anne Geissinger. Chicago Review Press, 10th Edition, 2009; $18.95.

For anyone who has contemplated volunteering his free time to a good cause for more than an hour or a day, it could be daunting to figure out exactly what to do. Not everyone can join the Peace Corps, but you might be doubtful that you can make a difference in just a week. The authors aim to prove that hypothesis wrong. There are plenty of projects in the world that can make an impact, from coaching soccer to planting crops to just hanging out with babies with cleft palates. This guide is great resource on what you can do to help others.

Pros

This is an alphabetical guide to 150 volunteer organizations that the authors hand-picked to feature. Each entry lists contact information, project type and location, mission statement, founding year, number of volunteers as well as the work they do. The guide’s easy-to-read formation also includes the skill sets they are looking for, the cost to you and how you can get started.

Sprinkled throughout the book are interviews and vignettes from volunteers discussing their personal experiences. Truly, nothing can speak to a reader more than firsthand knowledge when trying to decide where and why to volunteer on your time off. Admittedly some are a bit over-the-top sappy, but the sincerity rings through and is quite touching.

For those ready to commit more than a week or two, a section in the back is dedicated to long-term volunteer opportunities with five different organizations. Of course, you’ll get details on the Peace Corps, but also on AmeriCorps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Teach for America and Voluntary Service Overseas.

Great Tips

The 40-page index breaks down options by cost, length, project type (agriculture, construction, education and so on) and organization type (disability-friendly, family-friendly and senior-friendly). If you don’t want to wade through the entire book, this is a huge time-saver.

Cons

More firsthand details on different programs would be welcome. The ones given are compelling and make you want to learn more.

Worth Buying?

Yes. There’s no way you could even surf the Web and get all the options this guide offers, at least not in a timely manner.