Make your next vacation a fulfilling one .... VOLUNTEER!

[greeniiiiz]

TOURISTS GO EXTRA MILE TO DO GOOD.

More tourists - including college students on spring break, jet-setting luxury travelers and retiring baby boomers - are using their vacations to volunteer. In the latest example of the growth of "volunteerism," United Way, one of the nation's oldest and largest community service organizations, and CheapTickets.com will unveil a Web site today to link travelers with volunteer work. Recent surveys by online travel company Orbitz, competitor Travelocity and the Travel Industry Association all show increasing interest in volunteer vacations. An even stronger indicator of the interest, TIA's Cathy Keefe said, is that more travel agencies and tour companies are offering specific volunteer opportunities. In some cases, people can add a day to their trip to focus on a specific cause. At the Cheaptickets Web site, volunteer.cheaptickets.com, after travelers decide on their destinations, they can pick the specific location for their volunteer work and then select the particular social issue, such as homelessness, domestic violence and drug abuse. (Los Angeles Times.com/Business) Here's a link to the United Way/Cheaptickets joint volunteer site:

http://www.cheaptickets.com/App/PerformMDLPDealsContent?deal_id=volunteer

and for International volunteer opportunities - in Africa, Asia, South America, & New  Zealand look here:  www.volunteer.org.nz  Global Volunteer Network

 

[heyiheardthat]

Mar. 17, 2007 at 11:44 AM That's a really good idea- I would have never thought to volunteer during travel.  But then, I don't get to travel really.  Kind of a bummer :(  My son volunteered with his church youth group downtown at the local mission a few weeks ago feeding the homeless.  I think it was a good experience for him.