This article is all about the amazing volunteer opportunities Hannah and I have undertaken while traveling the world. I hope to give other eager travelers an idea of the excellent volunteering jobs that are available. I’ll also provide advice on how to find such volunteer positions.
Whenever we are house sitting for a significant amount of time, we find local charitable organizations looking for assistance. It’s been an important part of our lives for many years. We have met many great people, helped valuable causes close to our hearts, and got to know the communities we are staying in on a much deeper level.
Using our previous volunteer opportunities, here are some great ideas to enhance your own traveling experience.
1 – Volunteer at Food Banks
The rise of inflation and soaring costs of things like fuel, energy bills, and groceries have led to a big increase in the need for food banks. Every city we have visited has had numerous food banks offering weekly or monthly supplies for those who need them. These supplies can include staple household foods, clothing, hygiene products, and even cleaning supplies.
This is a direct way to interact with the local community and see an immediate impact. So many grateful families depend on these services to survive, and being able to contribute towards this is immensely rewarding.
Major cities may have government-run projects but we found it’s quicker and easier to approach church and not-for-profit setups. Smaller groups generally have a greater need for support and there is less red tape to navigate to get started as a temporary volunteer.
Our Experience Volunteering at Food Banks
I volunteered at a food bank in my hometown in the UK throughout the pandemic. It kept me busy and at times, sane, during some of the harshest points of the lockdowns. I enjoyed the placement a lot and it was great to see how much the food parcels meant to the people who received them. It felt great during the most difficult of times to be helping those who were struggling to buy food.
During our first international house sit in Tucson, Arizona, we approached Impact, a local food pantry. We explained that we were house sitting in the area for 6-weeks and wanted to help out however we could. While house sitting in Durham, North Carolina we did the same thing, this time we were there for almost 3-months so really got into a routine.
We generally were able to offer 2 to 3 shifts a week working in a variety of roles.
What to Expect from a Food Bank Volunteering Experience
A food bank is a lot more detailed than you might think. It’s not just turning up and handing out free food. Our responsibilities at food banks have been diverse.
There are admin roles such as data entry, signing people in, and processing their food needs. Preparation such as collecting food from contributors and checking for spoilage and expiration dates takes a lot of time. Parceling groceries or displaying them for distribution is equally time-consuming.
Behind the scenes, a lot of the work is done. Keeping an organized and well-run food bank ensures that when the doors open a smooth and efficient service is provided. Expect roles that range from basic admin tasks to jobs that are at times gross (expired products!) and physically challenging. Be sure to always stay within your capabilities.
2 – Walk Dogs at a Dog Rescue Shelter
If you love animals, I highly recommend signing up with a local pet rescue shelter. It’s a really rewarding experience and you get to have lots of fun with a range of new furry friends.
Many communities have shelters that take in unwanted or abandoned pets. It can be a huge task for many small but dedicated and hard-working organizations. With most having a policy of never putting a healthy animal down, it means the number of pets can be overwhelming, and these groups often need all the help they can get.
Our Experience Volunteering at Dog Rescue Shelters
While house sitting in Mission, Texas, we volunteered with Cinderella Pet Rescue, a local and privately run animal shelter. The owner had a huge property that she decided to dedicate primarily to the security and shelter of unwanted dogs. Our hosts Rob and Irene were volunteers there, as were many neighbors, so we were quick to offer our services.
During our time at Cinderella, we saw the number of dogs steadily increasing. One morning a careless and irresponsible owner had left 5 dogs at the gate and driven off. I’m told this is not an isolated incident and happens routinely at dog shelters everywhere. It’s heartbreaking to see beautiful pets abandoned but thankfully places like Cinderella exist.
We volunteered 2-3 mornings a week, working 4-hour shifts and walking as many dogs as we could. Our record was 74 dogs among just 3 volunteers in one morning shift. Hannah and I clocked up almost 8 miles each before lunch!
What to Expect from a Dog Shelter Volunteering Experience
Dogs need a lot of walking and many want as much attention and treats as you can give. It is a fun experience but one you must also treat with a great deal of caution. Some dogs can come from violent homes where they have been mistreated or abused, and subsequently, the temperament of some can be erratic and dangerous.
Be sure to take advice from senior handlers and managers onsite about handling certain dogs. This was made abundantly clear to us on every shift. Always be aware of other dogs in the vicinity and follow protocols to the letter.
Expect to clock up thousands of steps, get a bit grubby and slobbered on, and be prepared to pick up a significant amount of poop! It’s amazing to see dogs thriving after some truly horrible experiences. It’s even more amazing when new caring owners adopt a rescue dog.
3 – Help Out Local Residents
A great way to meet new people, find out insider tips, and feel a real sense of giving back is to help out local residents. Whether this is offering up your services to assist someone with their gardening, picking up groceries, or just general day-to-day help. There are always people looking for a little extra support.
Local online community forums, Facebook groups, and church and council bulletin boards are great ways to find volunteer opportunities. Volunteer exchange platforms such as Workaway and HelpX are also great for finding people. I’ve reached out using these sites numerous times while house sitting around the world and had some awesome experiences.
Our Experience Volunteering With Local Residents
We have used Workaway and HelpX as part of our traveling repertoire for years, and we’ve had amazing month-long stays in Italy, Texas, Costa Rica, and Montenegro. As our digital nomad work schedule has steadily increased, we now usually opt for house sitting placements rather than full-time volunteer opportunities.
However, we have occasionally continued to use Workaway to find ad hoc volunteer opportunities. We found 2 nice retired ladies in Durham, NC, who needed a helping hand a few days a week. In exchange for local restaurant tips, a hearty lunch, and a few beers to take away every time we were more than happy to help.
Our tasks included helping clear out a loft, a garage, and a storage container. I also used the ride-on mower to cut the lawn a few times, painted a living room, and took no end of things to the local thrift store. It was a rewarding experience and we made lifelong friends with the people we helped.
What to Expect Volunteering With Local Residents
Everyone will be different so I can only give you the benefit of my experience here. All my exchanges have been excellent, I got more in return than I could have put in.
Using platforms like Workaway, or having a meeting beforehand is a great way to find out what’s going to be involved and whether it is something you’d want to get involved in.
From the listings I generally see, it is a mix of retirees and elderly folk needing an extra hand and small farms (or very big gardens!) with more tasks required than is possible to complete in a day. Expect very grateful people, generous with the coffee and biscuits, and plenty of cathartic outdoor tasks.
4 – Get Involved with Community Clean-Ups
An easy project to get quickly signed up with is community and beach clean-ups. If you’re spending a lot of time in one area it shouldn’t be hard to find local organizations regularly looking for help cleaning up the local neighborhood. It’s a great way to socialize with locals, get some exercise, and give back to your temporary community.
Websites like Volunteer Match are excellent for finding localized volunteering opportunities. Use the search filters to find volunteer opportunities at the time you plan to be in a specific area.
Our Volunteering Experience with Community Clean-Ups
We signed up for regular beach clean-ups in San Diego, California during a 2-month stay in the city. We regularly visited the beaches and despite it not being our mess, enjoyed playing our part to keep them tidy. Trash can also be very dangerous for wildlife so it felt good to be helping them out too!
Another time we shifted from the beach to the lake and got on kayaks to pull trash from the water. It was part of a once-a-month project and we received free t-shirts and a discounted kayak tour around the La Jolla caves for helping out. It wasn’t why we did it, but it was a nice bonus for sure!
What to Expect Volunteering at Community Clean-Ups
A group clean-up can be more fun than it sounds. It’s a uniting movement of local volunteers with a mission to tidy up their streets. Most will meet regularly so by getting involved as an out-of-towner you’re bound to be greeted with much interest and enjoyable friendly interactions.
The work is generally straightforward, picking up trash, cutting back bushes, and fishing plastic out of rivers. It’s not the most appealing job in the world but it’s good for the soul. The steady nature of this work lends itself to good conversations with new friends or the chance to put headphones on and catch up on your favorite podcast.
Expect to rack up a good amount of steps and catch some rays.
5 – Lend a Hand at Local Events
This can be a really fun and rewarding way to volunteer. Check online for any local events, then go to the direct event website to see if they need volunteers.
Events can range from county and national sports events, and college fixtures to live music events and beer festivals. The bigger the city you’re staying in, the greater the opportunities will be for volunteer opportunities.
Most events, even big ones, depend on volunteers to ensure the event runs smoothly. This type of volunteer work may require some paperwork for security reasons but if you have an ID and a reference, it’s often a straightforward process.
Our Volunteering Experience Helping at Local Events
Again during our time in San Diego, we volunteered with a National Youth Games organization. We were required to sign in families, competitors, and guests for the pretty sizeable national junior hockey finals. After a few hours sat drinking coffee and checking tickets, we got to go and watch the matches.
Similarly, but under much warmer circumstances, we volunteered at the first annual TST (The Soccer Tournament) in Cary, NC. It was during our time house sitting in Durham and while checking to see if any remotely affordable tickets were left for the tournament we came across the volunteer opportunities section. We were able to quickly sign up and offer our services for the whole weekend.
We scanned tickets at the gates for 2-hours each day and then were free to watch all the games. Volunteering also included lunch, free t-shirts, AAA passes, and a pizza gift card! I’ll admit it – this time, the free tickets and merch were exactly why we volunteered! But it was a great experience and it felt nice to lend a much-needed hand to a burgeoning local event.
What to Expect Volunteering at Local Events
Your experiences may vary wildly from ours given the range of events that regularly require help. But, from what I’ve come across help is usually required for ticket-checkers, parking attendants, and general clean-up.
If you are a health professional or a registered security official, there may be a variety of better-suited roles. I’d always mention any relevant qualifications when enquiring just in case there is something available that is better suited to your skill set.
We’ve worked at some big events and they have been a lot of fun. Expect some great camaraderie, lots of professional guidance and support, and the chance to see some exciting live events.
Conclusion
I hope my reflection on 5 amazing volunteer opportunities whilst traveling has given you some ideas for your travel plans. Time doesn’t always allow everyone to volunteer but if you find you have a few hours free, be sure to seek out some worthy causes that will benefit greatly from your assistance.
Volunteering is a rewarding endeavor that can play a large role in enhancing a travel experience. Meeting new people, garnering insider tips, and generally getting to know an area better make you feel more like a local than a tourist passing through.
Happy travels!
Further Info on House Sitting
Through house sitting we have been able to travel further for longer. During these experiences, we have had the opportunity to find volunteer placements and truly get involved with worthwhile projects.
Our go-to house sitting platform is Trusted Housesitters and it’s free to sign up and start browsing some of the thousands of available listings currently looking for sitters. To apply for a sit, you’ll need to be a paying member, but memberships start at just $129/year. You’ll also receive 25% off any membership with our code BEACHES25, click here to get started.
Be sure to check out my previous article – Everything You Need to Know About Trusted Housesitters for further reading about this excellent travel solution.
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