Volunteer in the USA
Over the past 26 years VFP has hosted over 800 International Service Projects in communities throughout the United States. From assisting at wheelchair races in Anchorage, Alaska to rebuilding churches throughout the Carolinas, volunteers from around the world have joined together to serve the world community.
In cooperation with local hosts, VFP organizes about 30–40 projects each year, mainly in the summer months. There are a wide variety of projects to choose from since they arise from grassroot needs. Past projects have consisted of renovating schools in Philadelphia, working at children’s camps in Vermont, building yurts in California, assisting at festivals in Vermont and Oregon, trail renovation in Maine and the American Southwest, and helping at homeless shelters on both coasts.
What’s on your agenda this year? Visit the Project Directory and search for projects in the USA.
Alaska
In conjunction with CHALLENGE ALASKA; a non-profit organization that improves the quality of life for people with disabilities and the whole community through adaptive sports, therapeutic recreation, and education; VFP has offered projects where international volunteers assist athletes during the Sadler's Alaska Challenge, the longest wheelchair & handcycle race in the world. |
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Volunteers congratulate Alejandro Albor, the winner of the Sadler's Midnite Sun Ultra Challenge Wheelchair Race.
Karen Hulme / Challenge Alaska ~ 2001 |
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Volunteers from 8 countries provided support for the longest, toughest wheelchair race in the world; the annual 367 mile Sadler's Midnite Sun Ultra Challenge from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska.
Kate Stephens / Alaska, USA ~ 1999 |
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American Southwest
Volunteers For Peace in cooperation with American Conservation Experience, a non-profit conservation corps offering opportunities for both American and International volunteers to take part in challenging outdoor projects in many of the most beautiful National Parks, National Forests and wilderness areas in the Western United States, offers 12 week projects in Flagstaff, Arizona and Santa Cruz, California. |
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"I'm absolutely loving it out west with ACE. I just returned from a trip rebuilding trails in a forest with lots of canyons creeks, stars, and other great things. It is great to meet so many people from all over. Everyone is so different but surprisingly so easy to get along with. It really kind of gives me faith in world harmony in a way." Laurel Chen ~ 2009
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Photo Credit:
American Conservation Experience ~ 2009 |
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Photo Credits: American Conservation Experience ~ 2007 |
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California
The Mendocino Ecological Learning Center (MELC) is a nonprofit educational organization and ecological reserve. The Center practices sustainable stewardship of lands, plants, animals and energy systems. MELC is located in Northern California's Mendocino County in the rural town of Willits. For the past 6 years, VFP in conjunction with MELC offered one short-term international voluntary service project during the summer months. |
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Photo Credits: Mendocino Ecological Learning Center ~ 2007 |
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Carolinas
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Volunteers construct and repair homes of clients who live in poverty and are handicapped, disabled and/or elderly, through the United Methodist Relief Center, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
Fabio Sperolini, Italian Co-leader / South Carolina, USA ~ 2008 |
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Volunteers rebuild a burnt church in South Carolina.
Harold Confer / UFUFO, South Carolina ~ 2001. |
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Hawaii
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Volunteers hiking along the rim of the Waimea Canyon, in Koke's State Park.
Curtis Washburn / Hawaii, USA ~ 2007 |
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Louisiana
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"The VFP and local volunteers blended wonderfully and they integrated the international volunteers into work as well as into the fun activities in New Orleans. There was a positive attitude even with tough conditions of heat, rain and hard labor." Wendi Fein ~ 2009
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Maine
In conjunction with Baxter State Park, Hilton-Winn Farm and Wells-Reserve VFP has offered 2-3 week projects in communities in Maine the over the past ten years. Baxter State Park is located in Millinocket, Maine and hosts environmental projects. In addition, Wells-Reserve , a 2,250-acre research, education, and recreation facility, a public-private partnership within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System also hosts environmental projects. |
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Bridge construction at the Wells Nature Preserve.
Judy Cohen / Maine, USA ~ 1999 |
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"The Hilton-Winn Farm Youth Enrichment Center is located in a beautiful area of Maine, near the towns of Ogunquit and Kennebunkport. The main goal of the farm is ‘to provide a country farm experience to enrich the hearts, minds and spirits of children’ and the restoration and maintenance of the farm is carried out by volunteers. The farm welcomes many school groups, including children from inner-city areas who may have very little, if any, experience of a rural environment. During the summer months, weekly activity projects also provide an opportunity for younger children to experience the farm during their summer vacation.
Laura Meadowcroft from England / Hilton-Winn, Maine, USA ~ 2008 |
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Maryland
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Quaker Workcamps International - Rebuilding churches destroyed by arson.
Harold Confer / Maryland, USA ~ 1999 |
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Quaker Workcamps International - Rebuilding churches destroyed by arson.
Harold Confer / Maryland, USA ~ 1999 |
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New Hampshire
VFP in conjunction with REVITE in Newport, New Hampshire Audobon and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord have offered short-term social projects over the past six years. |
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"I made new friends, broaden my intercultural understanding, learnt some interesting games, listened to Spanish music, discovered New Hampshire state, improved my interpersonal and organizational skills and learned to be patient."
Ielyzaveta Vasylenko from the Ukraine ~ 2009
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Concord New Hampshire volunteers.
Hillary Spurr / Concord, NH, USA ~ 2005 |
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Planting an herb garden in Concord, New Hampshire.
Emma Coldwell/ Concord, NH, USA ~ 2007 |
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Internatonal Volunteers at Newport Middle and High School where they taught local high schoolers about their respective countries.
Emma Coldwell/ Newport, NH, USA ~ 2008 |
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New York City
VFP in conjunction with SPROUT and Housing Works in New York City offers short-term projects during the summer months. Sprout is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with developmental disabilities and mental retardation grow through challenging and safe travel experiences. Housing Works is committed to ending the twin crises of AIDS and homelessness. |
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Volunteers at Sproutstock.
Sprout / New York, USA ~ 2008 |
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Volunteers on an excursion with homeless New Yorkers.
Sachiko Otohata/ NYC, USA ~ 2004 |
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International Volunteers with Housing Works in 2006
Housing Works/NYC, USA ~ 2006 |
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Oregon
VFP in cooperation with the Jefferson Mint Festival and Frog Jump organizes a 2 week project over the past 5 summers. International Volunteers assist other local volunteers in the various tasks coordinating an annual community festival featuring music and food. |
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Photo credit:
M. Bezen |
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International volunteers assist at the Jefferson Mint festival.
Ruth Anderson / Jefferson, Oregon, USA ~ 2008 |
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Jefferson Oregon volunteers.
Maike Will / Oregon, USA ~ 2005 |
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Philadelphia
THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER (CEDC) is a non-profit social service organization based in Philadephia, PA. CEDC provides individuals with information about educational job training and available job opportunities in the community. VFP and CEDC have hosted 4, 2-week service projects over the summer months the past four years. |
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"I met very friendly people and they gave me a feeling of safety and acceptance." Anna Magryta-Urban from Poland ~ 2009
"I love this camp. In this camp I made a lot of fun and painted the wall and some furniture that was the first time in my life. It’s funny, I really love make international friends." Youngok Bae from South Korea ~ 2009
photo credit: Ron Williams ~ 2009
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Volunteers from Japan, France, the US and Mexico wave their countries flags.
CEDC / Philadephia, PA, USA ~ 2008 |
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Vols worked on renovation of CEDC building and of a church school for K - 12th grade students.
“Personally, I got a big belly from this project!! Too much food but it was good. It was an amazing camp. THANK YOU ALL.” Neus Domingo, Spain at CEDC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ~ 2008
CEDC / Philadephia, PA, USA ~ 2008 |
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International Volunteers paint a mural in the CEDC building.
CEDC / Philadephia, PA, USA ~ 2008 |
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International Volunteers with children from a school they helped renovate.
CEDC / Philadephia, PA, USA ~ 2007 |
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Vermont
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SOLAR FEST
"I gain a lot. We learned about different cultures, renewable energies, to live in community and I got a lot of new friends." Adeline Beck from Belgium ~ 2009
"The best experience in my life." Anahi Cabrera from Mexico ~ 2009 |
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“I had never been on a farm and in those couple of weeks I have learned a lot. Sincerely I would not change nothing from those two weeks, there were very good organized.”
Rocio Bordallo, Spain at Solarfest, Vermont ~ 2008 |
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Vershare is committed to enhancing the spirit of community involvement. Fostering economic development and contributing to projects to benefit the residents of Vershire, Vermont. Here International Volunteers participate in a wrap up exercise for preparing for end of a kids camp.
Jane Skakel / Vershire, Vermont, USA ~ 2008 |
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The purpose of the Cross Vermont Trail Association, Inc. is to assist municipalities, recreation groups, and landowners in the creation and management of a four-season, multi-use trail across the state of Vermont for public recreation, alternative transportation, and awareness of our natural and cultural heritage. International Volunteers assist in building of the trail.
CVTA / Vermont, USA ~ 2007 |
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Dismas House is a supportive community for former prisoners transitioning from incarceration and university/college students who are also in transition with their lives. International Volunteers have assisted in the administrative office as well has renovated the outside of the houses throughout Vermont.
Terese Black / Rutland, Vermont, USA ~ 2007 |
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Volunteers scrape and paint the outside of the Rutland Dismas House.
Terese Black / Rutland, Vermont, USA ~ 2007 |
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The Common Ground Center in Starksboro, Vermont celebrates families in all of their diversity.
Volunteers with the Welcome Sign they helped build.
Hanna Zakowski from Germany/ Starksboro, VT, USA ~ 2008 |
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“I think I had a good chance to tell locals about my country. I think it helped them understand about Asia and Korea.”
Ga Eun Lee, Korea at Common Ground, Vermont
Volunteers sanding to make chairs
Hannah_Zakowski / Starksboro, VT, USA ~ 2008 |
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Painting a Dumpster at the camp.
Hannah_Zakowski / Starksboro, VT, USA ~ 2008 |
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ORCHARD VALLEY WALDORF SCHOOL is a nursery through grade 8 school located on 55 acres on the beautiful Kingsbury Branch of the Winooski River in East Montpelier, Vermont, approximately 13 miles from Montpelier, Vermont’s capital. One of the distinctive qualities of the school is a commitment to sustainability.
At this project work involves the care, maintenance and improvement of the existing orchard, gardens and chicken coop, as well as the creation of a low impact camp with composting toilet, solar shower and trails; cleaning, painting and organizing the school buildings, and the completion of an authentic Native American Wigwam.
“For me it was a really nice experience and I'm always trying to learn something and keep a very positive attitude.” Nancy Nieto, Mexico at Orchard Valley School, Vermont ~ 2008
Photo Credit: Jane Skakel / East Montpelier, VT, USA ~ 2008 |
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VFP has worked in conjunction with Monpelier Parks for 13 years. Volunteers work on a variety of park improvement projects, including building and restoring trails for hikers, cross-country skiers.
Montpelier Parks / Vermont, USA ~ 2008 |
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