The WorldService Corps, a volunteer agency affiliated with the Community of Christ, launched a new website this week (http://www.worldservicecorps.org), providing information to young adults who are searching for service opportunities.
I must admit that I found the old website rather dull, which stood in direct contrast with how exciting, challenging and engaging my time as volunteer was. Thankfully, the new website is very cool – well designed with lots of multimedia resources telling the stories of past volunteers.
It was my experience as a summer WorldService Corps volunteer in Kenya that first got me really excited about Outreach International. I had never been in the developing world as an adult and the immersion into extremely poor communities in the midst of a fraught political environment grabbed me like no other previous job or assignment. I found going back to college after the summer very hard – nothing in class seemed to match the level of education I had gotten out in the field.
I came away from Kenya with a profound sense of calling – to try to understand the issues facing the developing world and try to help in any way I could. I had picked up a copy of Outreach International’s training manual from a field worker in Western Kenya and during my downtime I read it cover to cover. I found Outreach International’s commitment to ending poverty in a way that maintained people’s dignity and human rights extremely compelling.
A few months after returning I contacted Outreach International and asked them if I could intern with them the next summer. After some negotiation they agreed and I had another fulfilling and life-changing experience with them. I learned that though I had felt so powerless in Kenya, in face of the tremendous problems there, there was a role for me to play, as a researcher, writer and trainer.
So if you are interested in service opportunities check out the WorldService Corps’ new website – you never know what path it might lead you down. If you are interested in Outreach International internships, contact info@outreachmail.org to see if opportunities are available.
-Matthew Bolton
Excellent website - awesome ministry!
Posted by: Diane Sadler | November 07, 2008 at 10:52 PM
Thanks for the article Matthew! We have even got some hits on our website from this... Hope all is well?
Posted by: Richard Betts | November 09, 2008 at 01:44 PM