How, where to be a volunteer?

[BobM]

After my forthcoming walk from Rome to Jerusalem in autumn (hopefully), I want to stop all my obsessive walking (fat chance of that ever happening) and settle down to normal life for a few weeks or a month+ as a pilgrim volunteer somewhere in France, Italy or Spain.

I would love to hear from others who have been volunteers, how they found their assignments etc etc.

Bob M

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I've been a volunteer hospi for many years, and a trainer for a few.
If you want to serve in Fall/Winter, the best way is to contact a place you really liked and connected-with on your travels, and see if they want or need a volunteer. You can take official training courses sponsored by national Amigos organizations, but these are geared toward people serving two-week stints in high-season donativo albergues. Longer-term stays in low season, IMHO, are best learned on the job, and spent in a place you know and love. Be sure you enjoy silence and solitude as well as bonhomie and racket... and don't let yourself be exploited by for-profit places in search of slave labor (a couple of places in France do that, sadly, mostly with idealistic Eastern European volunteers).

 

[BobM]

.............If you want to serve in Fall/Winter, the best way is to contact a place you really liked and connected-with on your travels, and see if they want or need a volunteer. You can take official training courses sponsored by national Amigos organizations, but these are geared toward people serving two-week stints in high-season donativo albergues. Longer-term stays in low season, IMHO, are best learned on the job .......... and don't let yourself be exploited by for-profit places in search of slave labor (a couple of places in France do that.....

Thx, Rebekah. That is helpful, especially the 'for profit' places. Two people I know paid for volunteer assignments (unrelated to pilgrimage) of several months, one in China, the other in India. They had wonderful experiences, but paid upfront for training. I don't know how much it cost them, but the concept seemed a bit exploitative to me.

Apart from doing rewarding hospitalero-type work, I was also wondering if opportunities exist to use other skills eg management, computer, writing, or even labouring in gardens or improving route signage, whatever. There are many way to serve.

Bob M

 

[Rebekah Scott]

You got that right, BobM. We are just now beginning to try for a comprehensive approach to getting volunteer help to where it is needed, when it is needed. .. a really counterintuitive idea in a place like this.
Consider joining FICS, Federacion Internacional Del Camino de Santiago. It is a young group, based in Spain but with members all over the world, dedicated to active intervention to protect camino patrimony and uphold ideals like donativo albergues and bare-bones, spiritual journeys that are not dedicated to "finding the best ___."
At this early stage it's good to have Spanish skills. I know we need a good web designer... and we will likely be doing some picketing/protesting actions once the weather improves... and waymarking!

 

[BobM]

You got that right, BobM. We are just now beginning to try for a comprehensive approach to getting volunteer help to where it is needed, when it is needed. .. a really counterintuitive idea in a place like this.
Consider joining FICS, Federacion Internacional Del Camino de Santiago. It is a young group, based in Spain but with members all over the world, dedicated to active intervention to protect camino patrimony and uphold ideals like donativo albergues and bare-bones, spiritual journeys that are not dedicated to "finding the best ___."
At this early stage it's good to have Spanish skills. I know we need a good web designer... and we will likely be doing some picketing/protesting actions once the weather improves... and waymarking!

Thx again, Rebekah, for great advice.

Another thought has occurred to me: Maybe Ivar could create a 'market' place in this forum for volunteers and those seeking volunteer help that could hook up with FICS. The credibility and popularity of this website and the vigilance of experienced volunteers (like you!) would weed out anyone attempting to exploit volunteers.

It's just a thought bubble.

Bob M

 

[JohnnieWalker]

You got that right, BobM. We are just now beginning to try for a comprehensive approach to getting volunteer help to where it is needed, when it is needed. .. a really counterintuitive idea in a place like this.
Consider joining FICS, Federacion Internacional Del Camino de Santiago. It is a young group, based in Spain but with members all over the world, dedicated to active intervention to protect camino patrimony and uphold ideals like donativo albergues and bare-bones, spiritual journeys that are not dedicated to "finding the best ___."
At this early stage it's good to have Spanish skills. I know we need a good web designer... and we will likely be doing some picketing/protesting actions once the weather improves... and waymarking!

How to people find out more about joining FICS Rebekah?

 

[BobM]

Here is another thought bubble: Volunteering does not have to be onsite, wonderful and important though that is.
Webpages can be designed anywhere in the world. Data, statistics, membership lists etc etc can be maintained by anyone with the right skills. Research on accommodation, or the pilgrimage history of XYZ can be done by anyone, anywhere. Same for advertising and media copy. Or translation. I could go on and on.

The thing is to have some forum to link needs with those who have the required skills. There must be lots of people visiting this forum who have very useful skills.

Bob M

 

[Rebekah Scott]

OK, Johnnie Walker: There's a Facebook page that is pretty active, and the website, which always needs updating: http://www.ficscaminodesantiago.com/