Puget Sound Job Market

Volunteer Opportunities



This is a listing of the service opportunities available. Some are local and others, like the Peace Corps, are global. These groups allow us to give something back to the community, whether you think of that as a local community or as the global community of mankind. Some of these you can do on a day by day basis and others take a commitment of years. Some you can do at home and others may require a trip to Antarctica. The choice is yours. Find something that appeals to you and get one of those 'toughest jobs you'll ever love.'

Volunteer Match
If nothing on this list inspires you to help your fellow mankind, try searching for something that does suit your interests. This will match volunteer opportunities with the volunteer. It is a very good site.

Northwest AIDS Foundation
Works with AIDS patients and with educational efforts.

Vista
This is the group that has local volunteers. Kind of 'Peace Corps' for the domisticate scene.Works with local groups to help those that need a hand in the US of A. Does a lot of work helping set up organizations to help themselves.

Volunteers in Parks
These volunteers work in the National Parks. Want to live for the summer in Yosemite or Olympic National Park? This is the place to find out how to do that.

Washington State Parks
The same deal as the National Parks volunteers, but with the Washington State Parks.

Habitat for Humanity
This organizations builds houses. It gives you a great chance to learn about house building while doing something for the community.

Student Conservation Association
As the name imlpies, a group for mainly student aged volunteers to work with conservation, park, and state agencies dealing with conservation and natural resources. But the have positions for older folks also.

AmeriCorps
"AmeriCorps is a national network of hundreds of programs throughout the US." AmeriCorps directly manages two programs nationally and supports hundreds of local organizations across the country. The time commitment for these programs is from ten to twelve months and members, upon completion of the program, receive an educational award for past or present college expenses. The AmeriCorps site contains information on what benefits and opportunities exist and listings of programs that are a part of AmeriCorps.

City Year
"City Year is a national youth service organization uniting young people, ages 17 to 23, from diverse backgrounds for a demanding year of full-time community service, leadership development, and civic engagement." City Year is located in ten cities across the country and has over 600 corps members.

Jumpstart
A twenty month commitment, while you are in college of tutoring pre-schoolers for ten hours a week during the school year, and a full-time position in a pre-school over the summer. Receive a stipend and AmeriCorps educational award.

International Opportunities

Voluntary Service Overseas
A "British-based volunteer-sending agency enabling people to share skills, build capabilities and promote international understanding with poorer countries." They are two year appointments.

Peace Corps
For more than 30 years, Peace Corps Volunteers have been working in over 80 countries to fight hunger and disease and to help educate and train individuals. Appointments are for two years and are very competitive.

World Teach
"International social service program which places volunteers as teachers in developing countries that request educational assistance." Eight week, six month and full year programs available.

Action Without Borders
"Action Without Borders is a global network of individuals and organizations sharing ideas, information and resources to help build a world where all people can live free, dignified and productive lives." Volunteers opportunities, non-profit jobs, non-profit internships worldwide and more at this very rich site that links people and organizations in 120 Countries.

International Volunteer listing
A good site to find other opportunities to volunteer. Some organizations are local and some are international.

There are more sites out on the web. You are limited only by your imagination. Go to any search engine (Webcrawler, Hotbot, Yahoo, Metacrawler, etc) and and search for 'volunteer' and and your favoriteactivity. Like to backpack? How about spending some time repair trails. The Sierra Club does it and so does the National Park Service. Like to go scuba diving? Every year the local dive shop[s clean up some of the local beaches. If you can read this, you can spend some time as a tutor working with someone who can't read this. Give something back to the community. They gave to you to get you this far. Besides, it is good for your karma.

Last update on May 18, 1999

Please let us know af any additions or corrections for this page. Thanks.