Holiday volunteering?

[starlucia]

So, I have a loooong holiday ahead of me (a month and a half!), and am interested in doing some local volunteering to fill my lazy days. However, I'm NOT interested in paying the hefty fee that large-scale agencies charge. Can anyone recommend a safe, reputable organization in need of volunteers (and doesn't charge them for the privilege of providing free labor? ) I speak fluent Spanish, and am especially interested in working with the Jewish community, with children or with the elderly (or hell, a combination of the three!) Thanks for any leads.

 

[dirtyauzzie]

Some of the money that agencies charge (if a reputable agency) for the free labour is the actual cost to the volunteer organistation itself to have somebody volunteering, ie, somebody has to coach you / train you so that you can volunteer and make a difference, so that coaching / training does require some resources from the very same NGO that you are trying to help.

 

[starlucia]

Some of the money that agencies charge (if a reputable agency) for the free labour is the actual cost to the volunteer organistation itself to have somebody volunteering, ie, somebody has to coach you / train you so that you can volunteer and make a difference, so that coaching / training does require some resources from the very same NGO that you are trying to help.

I know that. And it's great that it works for them. I'm just not interested

 

[MizzMarr]

I'd suggest that you start asking around in neighborhoods that you'd be interested in volunteering for whether there are any social programs that you'd be interested in. When I first arrived I had an "internship" at a defensoria in La Boca that I paid to be placed with. It was a great place, and I enjoyed my time there, but one of the other women who worked there as a volunteer/intern found them on her own and didn't need to pay anything.

Maybe start your inquiries at local churches, schools, geriatric homes or hospitals?