December 2009: New Volunteer Coordinators & More!!

As Global Volunteers looks to a busy and successful 2010, four new volunteer coordinators and many new international staff have joined the Global Volunteers’ staff.

These additions have made December a hectic, yet exciting, month. Team Leader Training was conducted December 7 – 11 with Country Managers, Volunteer Team Leaders, and new staff taking part. The final Friday session, with all current staff, was a great finish to the week, as everyone reflected on the past 25 years and brainstormed new, fresh ideas for the coming 25 years.

Before international staff returned to their home countries, they joined Global Volunteers staff, volunteers, and supporters at the 25th Anniversary Gala to celebrate 25 years of service and over 25,000 volunteers! This was a special event featuring a peace symposium, silent auction, flag ceremony, international music, delightful food, and engaging speakers from the organization, the local community, and the international community. Highlights also included an award presentation to Global Volunteers from our host community in Poland and the presentation of the 2009 Vision Award Recipient to Bishop Mdegella of Tanzania.

And now, as staff return to their daily routines, country managers prepare for their next teams and new VCs continue to learn more each day about the organization, the work, and the amazing opportunity to help others “wage peace through service” and better humanity for years to come.

It is a privilege to be a part of this organization, and I know I speak for all new staff when I say I look forward to enhancing the work of Global Volunteers by enabling positive change one person at a time.

Stephanie Peterson
Global Volunteers, Volunteer Coordinator

As a staff, we marked International Peace Day (Sept. 21) by coming together to discuss the work of justice and its relevance in our world today. It confirmed our belief that those who join us in service domestically and abroad are able to see themselves as global neighbors. That in reality the world is not divided as we see it on a globe or a map. That it is people who've created the dividing lines between states and countries, between peoples and cultures, and that its people who step over lines that seek to separate us. By giving of their talent, talent and treasure each volunteer be they 6 or 86 is helping to make manifest a more peace-filled society. Global Volunteers is proud to have been about the work of social justice for 25 years now.

My colleagues and I come to work each day because we feel what we're doing here is meaningful. We are so grateful to our change-waging volunteers, who say "yes" to doing that which they can do to bring about Peace and Justice in our time. Read more about our "Peace Day" observance here.
- Julie Costa, Global Volunteers Volunteer Manager

Happy International Day of Peace!

New Bunk Beds at Seam's Children's Home in India

I personally thank all the Global Volunteers on behalf of all the children and staff at Seam's Children's Home for providing Bunk Beds for the children to have a comfortable and safe environment to sleep in.It has been a welcome addition to their home and all the little children love their new beds. The older ones need to wait another year for the Stage 2 of the Dormitories to be completed to accommodate additional Bunk Beds for them.This wonderful addition for the children has been possible only by your generous contribution through the Child Sponsorship Fund which helped us meet the basic needs of the children. And i believe your continuous support and help would enable us to carry on this good work to benefit more and more deprived children in our community.

Please see the photos of the Bunk Beds on the India blog here.

Thank you very much,
Stephen Raja, Country Manager
Global Volunteers India Service Program