Volunteering in the United States

Volunteer travel brings myriad opportunities to explore new places, meet diverse people, and get your hands dirty working on a worthy project. So why do many volunteers—in particular, Americans—overlook the United States as a destination? The third largest nation, and one of the youngest, the U.S. is a 3.79 million square mile patchwork of unique places with 310 million people.

Let’s take a look at just a few of the volunteer programs operating throughout the U.S., and how you can get involved!

WHAT’S NEEDED~

Much of the eastern United States is comprised of industrial towns or sprawling urban areas like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, D.C., and Atlanta. But what if we move a little bit further in to the less-developed areas of Appalachia, we’ll find a region in great need of improved education, renovations to houses and community buildings, and even upkeep on its famous 2,180-mile-long trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine.

WHAT YOU CAN DO~

• Appalachia Service Project: Based in Tennessee, volunteers with the Appalachia Service Project assist with construction and renovation programs for underserved and impoverished communities. Trips are catered to adult, college, and youth volunteer groups, and last one weekend to one week at a time. To learn more and sign up, visit asphome.org.
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy: With programs stretching across the length of the Appalachian Trail, this organization focuses on trail building and environmental conservation. Volunteers work for one week or longer on trail crews, which provide trail relocation and rehabilitation, as well as bridge and shelter construction. Participants must be 18 or older, and no previous trail work experience is necessary. To learn more and sign up, visit www.appalachiantrail.org.
• Camphill Special School: This Pennsylvania school cares for and educates children, youth, and young adults with developmental disabilities. Residential and non-residential volunteers and interns are welcome to help in the school, assist with gardening and landscaping, take on construction projects, and more. To learn more and sign up, visit www.camphillspecialschool.org.

Construction volunteers in Appalachia

WHAT’S NEEDED~

This area, comprising Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, has needed ongoing construction and recovery work in the six years since Hurricane Katrina as well as the 2010 BP oil spill. Volunteers in the Gulf Coast often are called upon to build homes or renovate damaged ones, rehabilitate sick and injured animals, and assist with habitat restoration.

WHAT YOU CAN DO~

• Common Ground Relief: Based in New Orleans, Common Ground Relief’s volunteers work on such varied projects as construction, disaster response, environmental conservation, and legal and social work. On one project, volunteers can provide advice and assistance to homeowners faced with legal obstacles such as contractor fraud or wrongful home demolition. Short- and long-term projects are available for volunteers of varying skills and expertise. To learn more and sign up, visit www.commongroundrelief.org.
• Habitat for Humanity: As one of the most widespread volunteer organizations in the world, Habitat’s volunteers work on a global scale—and even within the U.S., projects are hosted from city to city and from state to state. Volunteers construct homes or renovate older or damaged ones—for example, the St. Bernard Project in New Orleans rebuilds homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Programs last one week or longer, and volunteers are accommodated in shared, community housing. To learn more and sign up, visit www.habitat.org.
• Gulf Coast Wildlife Rescue: Located in Texas, the Gulf Coast Wildlife Rescue trains volunteers to rehabilitate sick and injured birds, reptiles, and mammals. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and attend orientation and training in order to handle the animals. Training sessions are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month, and are open to the public. To learn more and to sign up, visit www.gcwr.org.

WHAT’S NEEDED~

An incredibly diverse area for finding volunteer opportunities, the Midwest and western United States (excluding the coast, which we’ll get to next) offer programs in youth development, environmental conservation, disaster response and recovery, and even paleontology. That’s not to say you can’t find youth development programs in Georgia—because you totally can—but the point is there isn’t necessarily a strong trend to cover volunteerism in the Midwest. If you have an idea in mind for the type of work you’d like to do, you’ll probably find a great program addressing it in this region.

WHAT YOU CAN DO~

• Samaritan’s Purse: Samaritan’s Purse historically has deployed volunteers throughout the U.S. and abroad to respond to natural disasters, including the tornadoes that devastated Joplin, MO earlier this year. Projects often include home repair, construction, and cleanup, and individual and team sign-up forms are available on the organization’s website. Current U.S. response projects are operating in Alabama, Alaska, North Carolina, and North Dakota. To learn more and get involved, visit www.samaritanspurse.org.
• Wyoming Dinosaur Center: This program allows volunteers to dig for a day, or for recurring volunteers to take on ongoing tasks and have a greater hand in research projects. Volunteers must arrange their own transportation, accommodation, and meals while working with the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. To learn more and to sign up, visit www.wyodino.org.
• Cheyenne River Youth Project: Based in South Dakota, the Cheyenne River Youth Project’s volunteers teach and care for children, and take part in community development projects. Volunteers can expect to help with recreational activities, everyday youth center operations, counseling, fundraising, light construction and gardening, and other projects that keep the Cheyenne River Youth Project successful and sustainable. Programs last six weeks to two years, and volunteers are housed in community buildings. To learn more and sign up, visit www.lakotayouth.org.

WHAT’S NEEDED~

The volunteer work needed here heavily focuses on environmental conservation, trail building, and wildlife research and protection. With sandy beaches to the south and mountains and redwood forests to the north, volunteers can find all types of environmental projects to fit their interests, physical fitness, and skill levels.

WHAT YOU CAN DO~

• Catalina Island Conservancy: Volunteers with the Catalina Island Conservancy work with environmental conservation and research projects, including beach cleanup, trail building, and invasive plant removal at a native plant nursery. Projects are ongoing depending on the volunteer’s availability—though one-week volunteer vacation options also are offered—and accommodations are provided in a cabin or private house. To learn more and sign up, visit www.catalinaconservancy.org.
• Pacific Crest Trail Association: This organization works to maintain and improve the 2,600-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail. Volunteers help with trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, washout repair, and more. Programs are ongoing depending on the volunteer’s availability, though one-week or longer projects also are offered in partnership with other organizations, such as the Student Conservation Association. To learn more and sign up, visit www.pcta.org.
• Marine Mammal Center: Based in California, the Marine Mammal Center welcomes volunteers interested in wildlife conservation and research, as well as environmental awareness and education. Volunteers can expect to rehabilitate sick and injured animals, transport animals to and from the project site, and work as docents at the community education center. Programs here are ongoing depending on the volunteer’s availability; to learn m ore and sign up, visit www.marinemammalcenter.org.

Volunteer in the mountains cleaning a trail, wash oil-stained birds at a beach, take an eco-journey and plant native foliage in a desert or a rain forest, help build homes in rural areas, or build a park in a big city. It’s a vast country with more than 200 nationalities, each staking their claim and trying to improve the New World since 1492. What are you waiting for? Pick a place.