Volunteer charity work in Romania

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

VOLUNTEERING TIPS AND RESOURCES

Finding the right placement
Please remember that recruitment is led by the demands of the project, NOT by the demands of people who want to go.

First, consider what you are offering and what you want to do. You may have to re-think some of your parameters once you have started gathering information. If you're looking for a short term project, then you need to contact those organisations that offer short term placements. Research done now will save frustration later on and save the charity money and time - sending out forms and leaflets. Once informed you can be selective and approach agencies that offer what you want. You'll feel happier if you receive 'thank you but no' letters than no letters at all.

Agencies look for people who: are adaptable and flexible; have a sense of humour; have good communication skills; are willing and able to listen; wish to learn as well as to give; can adapt their skills to a very different work situation overseas; show sensitivity to other views; can cope with limited resources; can work as part of a team; can learn a new language, if necessary.

Your personal circumstances will also affect the options that are available to you. Do you have a partner or other close relationships? Children? A mortgage, student loans, an overdraft or credit card debt? Academic or training courses to finish? You will also need to consider: Are you healthy? How long can you offer? How old are you? What stage are you at in your career? What training and experience do you have? So be realistic about what you are offering and be selective in the organisations you contact.

Sponsorship
Getting sponsorship is not too hard as long as you allow sufficient time. Christian volunteers can often get support from their home church. Another approach is to create a grid on an A4 sheet of paper and divide up your stay into segments. Make the horizontal grid represent the days, weeks or months of your stay. Cost the segments out based on the total you require and offer the segments out to sponsors for a fixed price; i.e. someone may sponsor you for 7 days at £5 a day, and so on. This make the task seem less daunting. Christian friends can also especially pray for you on the days that they have sponsored.

Work Parties/Summer Camps
If you don't meet the exact qualifications criteria of sending agencies, you may find other ways of going overseas to do unpaid work for a few weeks, for instance on a work party or summer camp.

Voluntary Service Councils
If you cannot find your nearest volunteer bureau in the phone book, volunteers living in the UK could try the following: National Volunteering Helpline (Tel: 0345 221133); The National Association of Volunteer Bureaux (Tel: 0121 633 4555); The National Youth Agency (Tel: 0116 285 6789); National Federation of Youth Action Agencies (Tel: 01751 430116); Youth for Britain - a database of over 700 organisations (Tel: 01963 220036).

Personal Faith
Many Christian-based organisations require that all volunteers should have an active and committed Christian faith. If you are unsure about where you stand on this, please discuss this openly with the agency before requesting application forms. References from church leaders will almost always be required. You need to know that you are 'called' to a project and not just doing a 'good work' or just bringing your natural skills and experience.

Other excellent resources for volunteers looking for mission opportunities are the 'Short Term Service Directory' published by Christian Vocations; plus the 'Guide' and 'Opportunities Abroad' (monthly) - part of the World Service Enquiry service by Christians Abroad.

Useful Books
Useful book resources for volunteers and mission trips:

Vacation Work