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1. Where can I volunteer, overseas or here in the United States?
2. What kind of work do full-time volunteers do?  People serve in a wide variety of ways. Many programs need people to teach, to
work in community outreach, ministry to the homeless, the elderly, the sick and
poor. Nurses and Doctors are needed in a variety of areas. People work in
construction, agriculture and carpentry. Some placements require a background
specific to the work; others ask simply for people willing to do what they can.
3. How "religious" do I need to be to work with a faith-based program? 98% of the volunteer programs profiled in Connections are Catholic. Although none are considered evangelic or charismatic, they vary greatly in terms of how "religious" those
programs are. Some actually ask that all their volunteers be Catholic. At times,
volunteers live in community with priests, brothers or sisters. Other programs
have a spiritual component to the volunteer experience. Community prayer,
retreats, and regular masses might be a consistent part of the volunteer
experience. Very often these programs do not require volunteers to be Catholic
or even Christian. They simply ask for "open-mindedness." Still other
programs are simply funded by religious organizations, but don't require nor ask
their volunteers for any commitments in that arena.
4. How do volunteers support themselves? How can I do this financially? It is impossible to work for no money and survive; and the programs in
Connections realize this. They also realize that people have student loans and
other debt 5. What are the usual living conditions?  Very often volunteers live in community. Volunteer communities may me made up of
all lay volunteers or of a combination of lay and religious. Communities number
anywhere from 2 to 10 people, depending on the placement and the program. Very
often a simple sort of lifestyle is observed in community. This again depends on
the charism of the program.
6. What kind of qualifications do I need? What do programs look for in volunteers? Do I need a college degree? Although some volunteer programs look for volunteers 18 years and older, most have an age requ irement of 21 years and older. People of all ages, skills and
backgrounds volunteer. Some placements require specific training. Others ask for
a college degree. Again, this depends on the program and the placement. Often
the volunteer program itself searches for enthusiastic, flexible, adaptable
individuals who are willing to do anything that needs to be done. For overseas
placements, language training is often required and at times provided as part of
the program.
7. What type of training and orientation would I receive? Each program invites ne w volunteers to participate in some sort of orientation
program. The length of orientation can be one week or 6 months; this varies with
each program. Programs with overseas placements must cover more material (i.e.
cross-cultural training) and therefore have longer orientation programs.
8. Do I have a choice of where I'm placed or where I'll work? The volunteer programs in Connections strive to match people, their skills and talents with the positions they need to fill. Potential volunteers have an opportunity to express their expectations and desires for type of placement during the application process.9. Are there volunteer opportunities for married couples? With dependents? 
There are volunteer opportunities for married couples with or without dependents. Check the section on "Requirements" and "Personnel
Needed" in Connections to see which programs offer such placements.
10. What happens when I'm all finished? Where do I go from there? Most all volunteer programs offer "Re-Entry" or "Debriefing" workshops for their returning volunteers. This is a time dedicated to bringing closure to the volunteer experience. As well, the Pallotti Center offers a "What's Next?" Notebook to returning volunteers. This notebook is designed to walk returning volunteers through various decisions they are facing. The notebook offers a variety of resources and suggestions on everything from resume writing to getting involved in local community service projects. The Pallotti Center also has a Network of Former Lay Volunteers and Missioners. |
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Both. Volunteers and their skills are needed throughout the world. Between
all the various volunteer programs listed in Connections, there are
opportunities to serve in nearly every state in this country and every continent
in the world. Some programs offer both overseas and domestic placements; others
serve in one specific country or one specific state.
s to think about. These programs do what they can to assist their
volunteers in the financial arena. Depending on the program, volunteers are
usually given a monthly living stipend that covers room and board (and sometimes
a bit of spending money). Many offer a health insurance package and cover any
medical costs to the volunteer during their term of service. Often
transportation to and from the mission site is also covered by the program. What
is covered and what is not depends on the funds available to each program. Often
programs will ask their new volunteers to assist in raising funds for their
mission.
