Peace Corps Trouble.?

Question

I would like to help people, as in the peace corps, but I am not 18. What else can i do?

Answer 1

There's a lot of volunteering you can do locally, as well as training, that will make you a viable candidate for the PeaceCorps (who prefers candidates have finished at least their Bachelor's). Here's detailed suggestions on what you can do in the next few years that will both help people and improve your changes of being selected by the PeaceCorps:

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

To volunteer in the USA:

VolunteerMatch, http://www.volunteermatch.org

Idealist, http://www.idealist.org

Change.org, http://www.change.org

CraigsList, http://www.craigslist.com

Network for Good, http://www.networkforgood.org

http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/

ServeNet, http://servenet.org/

If you see an organization that you would like to help, but don't see a volunteering opportunity posted by that organization, it's okay to call them and say you would like to volunteer -- they may have opportunities they haven't posted. Also, many organizations are open to your own suggestions for volunteering activities.

Also, contact your local volunteer center; you can find this via the Points of Light Foundation web site,

http://www.pointsoflight.org/centers/

There's also this government sponsored site, http://volunteer.gov/gov/ which provides volunteer positions through USA federal land agencies like Fish & Wildlife, Forest Service, National Parks, etc.

Remember that finding a volunteering gig can be like finding a job: you may have to interview several times before you are chosen for an assignment.

If you want to be a volunteer to help with the consequences of a natural disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina, you need to register and prepare NOW. Here's a web site where you can register and start your preparation so that you can help the next time disaster strikes:

http://www.helpindisaster.org/

NetAid has programs specifically for high school students in North America who want to help in the developing world. NetAid is now a part of MeryCorps

http://www.netaid.org

TakingIT Global is another resource for young people in the USA who want to do something to affect the situation positively in developing countries

www.takingitglobal.org/