Volunteers For Peace Volunteer Program in Iceland

Interview with Jeffrey Stelter, Volunteers For Peace alumni

GO: Why did you decide to volunteer with VFP in Iceland?

Jeffrey: I decided to volunteer in Iceland through Volunteers for Peace (VFP) after some intensive internet searching. Iceland as a location might seem a bit odd to the majority of people for a vacation, but not when you live in the desert of Phoenix, Arizona. I had some vacation time that needed to be burned up so I decided to take a break during the sweltering summer to a cooler location. I have always wanted to visit Iceland.

I finally choose to volunteer with VFP after looking at the variety, location, and pricing of their programs. With an abundance of programs and pricing is very competitive it was a logical choice. I was not disappointed by my decision at all Iceland is a lush green beautiful country. People are friendly and it is clean and pure with a distinct history and landscape.

Volunteer group shot

GO: Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Jeffrey: My project was titled Close to Nature. Our site location was situated on the east coast of Iceland in a small fishing town of 1000 people called Eskifjord. Our daily routine consisted of waking up around 7:30 ish eating and getting ready for work by 9 am. We worked outside from 09 – 16 with a one hour lunch break and several breaks throughout the day. The work was very easy and non-strenuous. We mostly weeded flower beds, but we also planted grass, and spread hay to help grass grow. One day we herded sheep down a mountain side and we even worked on horse farm one day, in return we got to ride horses for free.

After work we would walk to the town swimming pool and play for a couple hours. We then would walk home and two people every night would prepare dinner. We all helped with dishes and clean-up. Afterwards people would chill and slowly make their way to bed to do it all over the next day. We had the weekends off so on those days we hiked or went fishing to enjoy the outdoors.

Volunteers in Iceland

GO: How has this experience helped you grow personally and professionally?

Jeffrey: This was one of the best vacations I have ever had. The group of people and location of our project made it all a great experience. I had a small group of nine people. Smaller groups are better for multiple reasons, better interaction, and a smaller number to cook for and ease of coordination overall. We had seven countries represented and everyone got a long really well. We all stayed in a 101 year old school house which was the epitome of community living.

This experience educated me about Iceland and other cultures. It was an enlightening on the community living dynamic and living with other cultures. You were challenged daily while living with a lot of people in a small area. It was cool because our group bonded very well and it made it an enjoyable project to work one.