# Volunteering

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering/180487>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 8, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering/180487 "2003-06-08T17:59:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MmmDonut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MmmDonut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MmmDonut)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering/180487/1 "2003-06-08T17:59:55Z")

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I’m interested in volunteering to feed the homeless or starving. I would like to travel to poor parts of the world, so I can see what I have been taking for granted, living in America.

My question is… What could I do, and where could I go, taking into consideration that I have no college degree and no professional skills?

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**Author:** ![dreamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamer)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering/180487/2 "2003-06-08T18:51:04Z")

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You could try some local churches for some missionary type work or try looking around [Volunteer Match](http://www.volunteermatch.org/)

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**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering/180487/3 "2003-06-08T20:03:34Z")

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From what I’ve gathered international relief organizations really don’t like newbies mucking up the joint and prefer experienced volunteers.

If you’re of a religious sort, many of them have international relief agencies (the Methodists and Friends/Quakers come to mind). The Salvation Army and the Red Cross (particularly DSHR) are also great ways to get the basic training you’d need for international relief.

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**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering/180487/4 "2003-06-08T20:25:44Z")

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Try the Peace Corps:

[http://www.peacecorps.gov/](http://www.peacecorps.gov/)  
[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=peace+corps](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=peace+corps)

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volunteering/180487/5 "2003-06-08T21:30:58Z")

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Since you’re looking for advice and suggestions rather than facts, I’ll move this thread to the IMHO forum.

bibliophage  
moderator GQ