Welcome
Paid and volunteer work abroad? Peace Corps jobs in foreign countries? Short term international volunteer and work opportunities for baby boomers and seniors? Combine retirement with a new international career?
How can I do something like that? I've heard that
question many times. It always follows a conversation where I’ve
discussed my personal international volunteer and work
experiences since I turned 50. The question got me thinking.
First, I had to find a good answer. Second, I thought that there
must be, or should be, a comprehensive resource where folks over
50 could go to find international volunteer opportunities. Thus
began the idea that lead to this website. The website is set-up
to provide the basic information you can use to plan your
volunteer experience. All of the volunteer organizations listed
on this site accept volunteers over 50.
How to use Over50andOverseas. On the left hand side of
the site you will find buttons naming sections that will provide
you with particular information. Clicking on a button will
direct you to the section named.
At the Volunteering Categories section you can study the
organizations and choose those that interest you and which you
feel can best fulfill your interests, experience and goals. You
can then click on the links at the paragraph describing the
organizations you have chosen and contact them directly.
The Making the Choice section has three areas. The Choosing an
Organization area provides helpful questions and considerations
for you to reflect upon when choosing a volunteer program. The
Pay to Volunteer area explains the rationale for paying to
volunteer. The Question to Former Volunteers area has a list of
questions you can ask of former volunteers who served with the
organizations you are considering.
There are also sections which provide basic information on
Health and Security and which have links to other websites that
elaborate on that basic information. In the Reference
Information section are links to websites which provide vital
and pertinent knowledge to help you prepare for your volunteer
experiences.
Over50andOverseas.com has Article and Interview sections in
which experienced international volunteers and travelers relate
their individual stories. In these sections you can also find
helpful and practical tips from volunteers who have "on the
ground" experience.
Enjoy Over50andOverseas Com. I hope you find it helpful. If you
have ideas on how to improve the site, please send an
email and let us know.
I wish you all the same wonderful, exciting and fulfilling
experiences that have been part of my life since I began my
international quests at age 56!
– John Dwyer
In 1991 John Dwyer joined the Peace Corps, a decision that
has since led to international service in 14 countries and
travel to 42 countries. After Peace Corps service in Guatemala,
John served as a United Nations volunteer in the first elections
in Bosnia after the Bosnian War and subsequently has worked
elections in Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania,
Montenegro, Russia, Ukraine, and Bangladesh. He managed camps
for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Herat, Afghanistan
and did development work in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He continues
to work internationally.
John's pre-international professional background includes work
as a businessman, actor, and deputy sheriff. Born in Los
Angeles, California he now lives in Port Townsend, Washington.
John is the father of a son Devin and a daughter Laura and is
the grandfather of Chase, Sutton, Sophia, Andrew, and Diana.
Why?
"The website is set-up to provide the basic information you can use to plan your volunteer experience. All of the volunteer organizations listed on this site accept volunteers over 50."