CTVNEWS

Voluntourism an inspiring way to see the world

Loren Christie, Canada AM travel expert
Published Friday, October 2, 2009 10:43AM EDT

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On today's show we met consummate travelling volunteer, Ellen Gert. Ellen's history with volun-tourism is a short one, but it is an inspiring story of how travel and volunteering can be a life-changing experience.

Her first experience was in 2006 with Smiling Albino, a small tour operator out of Thailand. Ellen signed up for their three week tour, which included three stints of volunteering. Smiling Albino's owners, Dan Fraser and Scott Coates, are ex-pat Canadians, who are a shining example of sustainable tourism practices.

Ellen has since been back to Thailand four times. Two of those trips included an eight month volunteer placement. And now this 55-year-old single parent is working on a special UNESCO project.

If you want to start looking into the options out there, remember a few things.....

Start small. You don't have to give up six months of your life to make a difference. Tour companies are starting to offer a sampling of volunteer work into their programs. If you go with a non-profit organization, assume the focus of the trip will be to put you to work.
Do your research. Age and physical fitness doesn't matter. There are a lot of different ways to volunteer. Ask yourself if you want to work with children or animals; use your hands to build or to plant; or use your brain to research or to teach.
No free trips. Costs certainly vary depending on how much of your vacation is a "vacation" and how much you are actually working. Tour companies generally are selling the experience of volunteering but still provide you with the food and accommodation you would find on a regular holiday package, so costs are similar to a regular vacation. Charities that offer trips overseas will look after very basic food and accommodation in the destination, but often you are on the hook for your airfare and any costs beyond the bare bones.
Don't count on a tax receipt. The Canadian Revenue Agency is sticky about whether you can write off your trip. Technically you should only be getting a receipt for a donation of cash or material goods. There are some nuances with some registered charities, which may allow you to write off at least a portion of the experience.

Here are some websites to check out: