Backpackers Buzz Issue 80 – Volunteer HI

Here at Hostelling International, we have long appreciated the help we get from our volunteers. We have hundreds of volunteers working for us all over the world and they do a variety of jobs, from housekeeping, to guest relations, to arranging social events. Their skills may be different, but one thing they do have in common is the Hostelling International mission, which is: “To help all, especially the young, gain a greater understanding of peoples, places and cultures through hostelling.” Here are six volunteers at HI-C-PM Region and their stories:   

Rob Potts

HI-Vancouver Volunteer      

“Career crisis” is the term that best described how I found myself volunteering with HI in 2007. At that point, I was a jaded and burnt-out hospitality manager who had strayed too far from where my passion really was: the guests.

Not long after switching jobs, I came across an ad for a volunteer activity leader/tour guide with HI and I decided to go for it. My signature tour takes small groups from downtown Vancouver to Bowen Island. It is a great getaway from the city that gives the “small-town Canada” experience, not to mention a beautiful walk and picnic at Killarney Lake. Although well known by locals, Bowen Island is not on many travellers’ itineraries. I really enjoy the feeling that I’ve taken hundreds of people to a place they probably would not have seen, otherwise. After all, aren’t unique experiences what we’re all looking for when travelling?

For me, the best part of volunteering with HI is providing me the ability to play ambassador, concierge and entertainer for groups of hostellers. It was all the good parts, without the parts I disliked from my hotel days. It has lead me to some great times and new friends, who I would have never met otherwise. I still maintain regular contact with many people I’ve met through the years, thanks to social media. 

Michael Markowsky

HI-Vancouver Volunteer 

One of my most memorable volunteer moments at Hostelling International was when I was leading a pub crawl through downtown Vancouver. At one point, there was a big circle of us standing around telling stories. Everyone was from a different English-speaking country, including England, Scotland, Canada, U.S. and a half-dozen people from around Australia. It was really incredible hearing all these different accents and recognizing we were all related in some small way. 

One of the guys in our group was a guy from a little village in Ireland. The funniest thing was that even though we all spoke “English,” none of us could understand him!  We were all laughing and looking at one another, shaking our heads and shrugging our shoulders, trying to figure out what he was saying all night long. It’s memories like these – and getting the chance to meet people from all over the world that really makes volunteering at HI great!  

Anita O’ Sullivan 

Someone once said to me, “Travelling is the gift of giving back”; combine travelling and volunteering, and you truly get to experience the value of giving back, not only to yourself but also to the community you volunteer with and those peoples’ lives that you have touched.

In May of 2010, I left my home in Ireland and began what is turning out to be a memorable 365 days of travelling Canada, coast-to-coast. To help me embark on my budget-style journey, I took the volunteering route that has led to many opportunities.

My first port of call: Halifax, Nova Scotia! I was staying at HI-Halifax, and the opportunity to volunteer-for-stay came up. I worked in housekeeping and did duties such as cleaning rooms, laundry and other general tasks. This gave me the chance to live and explore more of the province and also lead to a paid, full-time front desk position with Hostelling International. Currently I am working at HI-Whistler as a front desk agent.  I thoroughly enjoy working at HI!

Before I came to Whistler, I went to Newfoundland and took on a different type of volunteering called WWOOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms)!  I volunteered at Points East guesthouse and farm and in exchange for my accommodation and food; I performed a variety of daily chores, such as helping with food preparation, feeding animals, and harvesting vegetables. This then gave me the time to hike the East Coast Trail and experience the local sights. WWOOFing was a great alternative to the usual backpacking experience.

With each of my volunteering experiences, I met some amazing and interesting people, gained valuable work experience in my host country, developed new skills, lived within a community and experienced their culture and lifestyle. It’s a fantastic way to travel and see the country from a local’s point of view.   

Hartley Patenaude

HI-Edmonton Volunteer 

I’ve volunteered at HI-Edmonton on-and-off over the years. I traditionally did work around the hostel, such as shovelling snow or cutting grass. Last year, I started organizing weekly meals, movie nights and special events for hostel guests.

Since the change in my volunteer responsibilities, I have been cooking meals every Friday and hosting a movie night on Mondays.  So far, it’s been really good! I have also been organizing and chaperoning pub-crawls — and I am still shovelling snow and cutting grass, or doing whatever else needs doing at the hostel.

What I love about volunteering at HI-Edmonton is the chance to meet all types of people, hearing their stories and getting to know them. I just like getting everyone together to have a good time. 

Ron Au-Yang

HI-Vancouver Volunteer 

I’ve been volunteering at Hostelling International – Vancouver Central since January 2007, and as of November 2010, I had served over 3,000 hostellers and logged over 700 volunteer hours. 

As a volunteer activities leader, I take hostel guests out on various events, including tours, comedy nights and Canucks hockey games.  It also means acting as an advisor, giving suggestions on what sights to see in the city, and where and how to find a place to live and work while in Vancouver.  I have also helped people with resumes, jobs or even move into a new place! 

In my opinion, you’ll never find a more rewarding, fulfilling, extracurricular activity than volunteer work.  Hostellers from six continents have been my teachers and my friends.  I have learned so much from hostellers, about different countries and varied cultures than I ever could have from books and TV.  I hope I’ve also made a difference in someone’s life and made his or her stay in Vancouver a better one. To all those 3,000 guests I’ve met while volunteering: I’d like to thank you for inspiring me and helping me to be more than I am. Hopefully, one day I’ll travel around the world and we’ll meet again. 

Hostelling International volunteers in the community, too!

Greg Waskul

HI-Edmonton Hostel Manager

During my time at HI-Edmonton, we have had a number of volunteers who have shown their genuine care for the hostel and lent their time, effort, and skills to helping make HI-Edmonton a better place for guests and staff alike. From cleaning or shovelling snow, to getting supplies, volunteers are invaluable assets to the hostel.

HI-Edmonton’s appreciation for our volunteers who’ve supported us through the years cannot be fully expressed.  One way we can show our thanks and pay it forward is for staff, in turn, to volunteer in their own time in the community as well.

For the past four years, HI-Edmonton staff has volunteered their time with Capital City Clean-up’s Adopt-a-Block program. This City of Edmonton initiative designates volunteers with city blocks to maintain and keep clean.  From mid-April to late September, HI-Edmonton’s management team and staff volunteer to pick up litter around a four-street block area around the hostel. Our volunteer efforts not only support the City of Edmonton but it also allows Hostelling International to do its part in better showcasing Edmonton to travellers who visit our city.

If you would like to volunteer at Hostelling International, please visit hihostelspm.ca/volunteer, or pop into your local Hostelling International hostel and ask about any volunteering opportunities that may be available.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 at 3:38 pm and is filed under Hostelling International. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site. Add to del.icio.us.