Groups such as the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps?

Question

I am graduating college this spring and am interested in doing a year of service before going to law school. I have been reading up on groups like the ones mentioned above, however they seem more geared towards building up helpful networks than hands-on help for the poor, homeless etc. Does anyone know any groups that provide a more direct opportunity for service?

Answer 1

I once thought about doing this too, and you kind of need to start planing for something like this way in advance. Things like ... *Where you I wanna server?... (Learn Spanish or some common Latin if you're going south)

*What am I willing to give up of forfeit? (And be real to yourself ... that might even be s*x)

*Will I be able to party there or will those actions land me in jail or worse?... (Face it.. if you're really going to server some real need peeps you're going to need to cut YOUR own personal stress... the stress you'd get from just see how hard some of these people have it can truly make you go insane.)

I'm search you'll be able to find about 10x more service groups now that you could when I was younger and thinking about this. I ended up falling in love and having a family instead... but at the ripe old age of 36, I never lost this dream but I'd have no choice but to do it on either a El Grando scale by hook up with a group or good..(This might still be hard for me because I don't go to church and my views on god have gotten warped since I've grown older... I'm more of a mother eartherletssmokeit kinda old skool monkish freak now. Musta been the Salvia)

*** Or I'd hook up with some sort of Core of Engineers... Who are trying to work some sort of "American Man Miracle" (However there are many many engineering groups who are funded by congress and are doing some good things... so if you pick this safer route then I'd lobby your state and if need be DC to find these groups because they usually don't go posting ads all over because "Helpers" come easy.)

This is a good Question so I really hope you can find some better answers from some saner peeps. I'm on a simular mission only I'm having to leave my family of 17yrs to do it.

So I guess I'm more on some self destutive path at time being to force me to stay in America... ( God knows that if I ended up out there trying to help those who need it, I'd either be dead in a few monthd due to the simple fact that I'd have to sever in few dangerous ways and places. Or I'd go Rambo and be dead too.)

So if you're going to do it .. then do it before you're head gets filled with American Bullcrapo and you grow old and feel life this country woke up one day after the magority of the old skool *** kickers from the 30's- 50's have gone and died.. and now they younger hippy have totallly ****** our contry to the point were YOUR generation and younger are going to have to find a way thru...) (I think I was a bombarder in a past 30ish-40ish life)

Anyway sry to carry on... this is the most human contact I have so I ramble when I first wake up... WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

^6^  <--- Flying Eyeball    (with tail)

Answer 2

PeaceCorps and AmeriCorps are very much focused on DIRECT opportunities to help the poor, the homeless, etc. That's why so many people who apply for these programs are turned away -- they have little experience working directly with people, particularly people from low-income communities, diverse populations, etc. There's nothing more "direct" than PeaceCorps and AmeriCorps.

Here is a web site that can help you learn more about the skills and experience desired by PC, AC, and other long-term placement organizations and ways to gain such experience locally, wherever you are now, through further education (like language classes) and local volunteering. It also links to various organizations that place such long-term, skilled volunteers:

http://www.coyotecommunications.com/volu...

Answer 3

This is something that unfortunately you should have been looking into this time last year if you graduate in the spring. I'm currently applying for a long-term service program for April 2009 - they require a LOT of time in order to go through the application process and then find a suitable position for you. So if you do find something, chances are you won't leave for quite some time.

Check into VSO Canada. They take American volunteers as well. Also, UN Volunteers is excellent and more "hands on", so it may be a good choice for you.

Good luck! This is a great opportunity that not everyone has. I would try to bolster your resume with volunteer work in international development - it'll up your chances of getting a spot that's more hands on.