Passing the Baton

Big changes are happening here at Volunteer Expeditions.

Our incredible founder, president, and all-around leader Patti is officially retiring. At the age of 70, we think she deserves it.

So what's a nonprofit to do? We didn't want our good work to come to an end, so we started asking around. We didn't want just anyone to take over. So, when Patti talked to our good friends at Amizade (our partner on the volunteer trip to Washington, DC), she mentioned she wanted to retire, and they were immediately intrigued.

"So who's taking over?" Anna of Amizade asked.

"I don't know," said Patti. "I'm hoping for a wonderful organization."

"Hang on, we'll call you right back," Anna said. And true to her word, she called Patti right away with the Amizade Executive Director, Brandon. They wanted to take on our New Orleans program - and we couldn't be happier to pass Volunteer Expeditions on to them.

Amizade has a proven track record of almost 20 years of incredible service learning trips. They have taken over 6,000 volunteers to learn and do good all over the world; from Appalachia to Poland, from India to Tanzania. Their dedicated staff and incredible opportunities always ensure a life-changing experience for their travelers.

Brandon accompanied Patti to New Orleans to meet our partners and to experience the trip for himself. All went well and we are thrilled.

Amizade will officially take the lead on our New Orleans trip on June 1st, 2013. You can always visit our website to discover more about our trip and how to get in contact with Amizade to plan your volunteer vacation to the Big Easy - or to their many other global locations! (If you're interested in the other trips we offered, to Jamaica or Washington, DC, you can still do great work in those locations with Amizade.)

We've been buried in paperwork and transition details, but we look forward to handing our beloved New Orleans trip to this organization. Amizade will be taking Volunteer Expeditions over for a test run while Patti spends a few weeks in India at the end of this month (the usual travel destination for the 70+ set), so feel free to call them today and get your next volunteer trip organized!

Have any questions? Leave a comment or send an email to volunteer@amizade.org!

Hurricane Sandy: Learning the Lessons of Katrina

Hurricane Sandy has left a long trail of destruction in its wake. The sad events of the last few days, the images of homes destroyed, and the suddenly homeless all evoke powerful emotions. Unfortunately, this situation is not unique.

Our founder and president, Patti, is all too familiar with those who need to rebuild their lives. She reflected on the similarities and - thank goodness - differences from a hurricane just a few years ago...

Courtesy of NASA Goddard

As I look at the major devastation Hurricane Sandy has visited on the Eastern seaboard, I compare it to New Orleans in 2005. With scenes of rows and rows of houses with waters up through their windows and streets completely flooded, the flashback is real and intense. However, I think the horror of beginning to rebuild New Orleans will not be repeated. As I become glued to my television, I see the president, the governors, FEMA, and wonderful agencies like the American Red Cross immediately stepping forward so that the New Orleans nightmare is not repeated. The quick and responsive nature to Hurricane Sandy is stunning in comparison. All we can do is hope and pray that the victims of Hurricane Sandy will recover quickly and resume their normal and appreciated lives.

While people are focused on helping those in the Northeast who truly deserve our hope and attention, it is our wish that we do not forget the citizens still rebuilding their lives in New Orleans.

How will you help those on the East Coast? Leave us a comment below.

Patti's Passion

We are thrilled that our friends at Volunteer Global are compiling a book of volunteer travel stories. Our founder and president, Patti, wanted to share her story with them - and we want to share it with you! If you've ever wondered what you can do when you grow up and/or retire, you'll discover that the possibilities are endless.

Some people retire. They sleep in, play bridge and golf, knit, run some errands.

I am not one of them.

A year after my attempt at retiring, I was so shocked at the devastation from Hurricane Katrina that I organized a trip for my Chicago suburban synagogue to volunteer in New Orleans. Even 18 months after the storm, the destruction was heartbreaking. Thousands of homes were completely destroyed, and thousands more had to be completely gutted before they were deemed safe. We even had to wear HAZMAT suits.

I couldn’t just stay retired and do nothing. After word of our inspiring trip had spread to other local religious organizations – and I was asked to plan trips for them – I knew I had discovered my new lifework. I founded Volunteer Expeditions and now plan trips for religious, school and family groups from all over the country to help rebuild New Orleans. My organization has even expanded to offer trips for groups to tutor children in Jamaica and to help the homeless and hungry in Chicago and Washington, DC.

Patti jamming in New Orleans with some new friends

I am truly awed each and every day by the spirit, the determination, and the unwavering support of the volunteers I meet. Their work, their time and their money have genuinely made a difference to the people of New Orleans. I have had the pleasure of watching this city rebuild itself. In just a few short years, it has gone from a city destroyed with no green spaces to a vibrant place with new homes, businesses and parks. It still has a ways to go, but it is headed in the right direction.

Even though I have retired from the normal workforce, I'm spending my full time doing what I love best. And that's bringing volunteers to do worthwhile work that makes a difference in their lives and in the lives of the people they touch.

Do you know someone retired who is following their passion? Tell us in the comment section!

Hurricane Isaac on the Katrina Anniversary

As many are aware, today is the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In the time since those devastating storms and floods, New Orleans has certainly made huge strides in recovery. Though it will always be a city divided - before Katrina and after Katrina - it is flourishing in a whole new way.

But as fate would have it, on this day of remembering, New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast is under barrage from Hurricane Isaac. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those in the affected areas. Our founder and president, Patti Vile, releases this statement on this anniversary and new challenge:

"The brave citizens of New Orleans are again facing a hurricane to test their nerves, endurance, and their love of the city.

"In the seven years since Katrina, New Orleans has made some giant leaps and has addressed many issues while leaving other issues to be further considered and solved in time. The physical beauty of New Orleans has definitely returned. Immediately following Katrina, there was not a green space or blade of grass or trees or anything but the gray aftermath of the storm. Now New Orleans is green again, with new buildings and colorful homes and residents.

"While many families are struggling to regain some sense of a normal life after Katrina, we find them again today with new challenges from Hurricane Isaac. So many people do not have housing, and we are very concerned that this number is escalating as the day goes on.

"My wish for New Orleans is that they retain their spirit and their very unique culture. While no one can boast food and music like New Orleans-ians, the need to continue addressing poverty, crime, and issues of education is still pressing.

"Let's send New Orleans our prayers and best wishes on this anniversary and as they face this new challenge."

Just as New Orleans has taken big steps in recovering from Katrina, so too will they get through and flourish beyond Hurricane Isaac. And we will be there to help them do it.

To help those affected by the storm, please donate to the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, St. John's #5 Church and Social Ministry, the Lower 9th Ward Village, or Second Harvest Food Bank - or consider taking your group on a volunteer trip to New Orleans with Volunteer Expeditions.

Purposeful Journeys: Volunteer Expeditions in the news

We are thrilled to see an article this week in the Northbrook Tower (our local paper) all about Volunteer Expeditions! Patti loved talking to the intrepid paper's reporter and we want to share the news. Unfortunately, viewing the article online requires a subscription, but we want you to see Patti's story for yourself. (To view the article in its original home, click here.)

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Purposeful Journeys

Northbrook resident's nonprofit organizes service trips

by Alan P. Henry

Volunteers work on a house in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward

 

July 24, 2012

If you are ready to make a difference in the world, Northbrook resident Patti Vile has an opportunity for you.

Vile created and runs Volunteer Expeditions, a nonprofit travel planning service that brings families, college students, corporate groups and faith-based organizations to communities that are in need of hands-on help.

"Whether it is an alternative spring break or a mission trip, we provide you the chance to mix doing good with having fun," Vile said. "You will contribute to the lives of people who need help.

"My trips are not for people who just want culture and to relax. You roll up your sleeves and do a lot of work."

To date, Volunteer Expeditions has coordinated 43 customized trips for roughly 1,200 people to flood-ravaged New Orleans, where participants have helped rebuild homes, worked in food depositories and helped rebuild the bayou. Six future expeditions are in the planning stages, with groups headed to New Orleans,Washington, D.C., and Chicago.

Trips normally last four to seven days and cost an average of $700, not including air fare. Hotels, sightseeing and speakers are typically also a part of the package, in addition to social service activities.

Vile, 70, came up with the concept in 2007, after spending time in New Orleans in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina.

"I couldn't believe it was an American city. It was like a third-world country, devastated and empty," she said. "I came back home with an ache and went to my rabbi [at Am Shalom in Glencoe] and said, 'We have to do something.'

"He said, 'Then do it.'"

Recently retired, she started from scratch and put Volunteer Expeditions together "piece by piece."

"I'm fearless," said Vile, who has three children, seven grandchildren and two dogs, Napoleon and Josephine. "No one has ever told me, 'You can't do this.'"

Today, with the help of a part-time assistant, she operates out of her home office.

Vile, who has master's degree in urban policy and planning with a health care emphasis, has worked as a teacher, consulted for BlueCross BlueShield, built private medical practices and worked as the vice president of a third-party administrator, designing nationally implemented self-insured health plans.

Volunteer Expeditions is a natural extension of her lifelong pull toward volunteer work.

She has helped Soviet refugees in Chicago, volunteered with village agencies in Uganda and El Salvador, and been involved with Jewish and Muslim interfaith activities. She has served as president of the nonprofit group Art Encounter and the Glencoe Public Library Board of Trustees, and in 2011 she joined the Board of Directors of the Geographic Society of Chicago.

Her latest venture is Volunteer Expeditions trips to Chicago and Washington.

"The amount of homelessness and poverty and hunger in Chicago and Washington is heartbreaking," she said. "It's all over, and people aren't aware."

One Chicago trip is already booked, and another is in the planning stages. Work at several homeless shelters and a food depository is on the itinerary, along with an architectural tour and stops at Second City and favorite Chicago eateries.

"These community-building volunteer travel opportunities are focused on social change, social justice and service learning," Vile said. "Each trip offers its own rewards and becomes a powerful experience ­— to see how meaningful it is to clear a field, to put a library together, to tutor a child; the stories people bring back from these expeditions are life-changers."

Getting CLASSY

Volunteer Expeditions is a regional finalist in the Hunger and Poverty Relief category for the fourth annual CLASSY Awards, which recognize philanthropic organizations from throughout the country. The winner will be determined partially through online voting, which ends at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, July 26. To vote, visit www.stayclassy.org/classy-awards/vote.

Volunteer Expeditions Diary: Chicago Hunger Walk 2012

Last Saturday, June 23rd, we here at Volunteer Expeditions were thrilled to participate in the 27th Annual Chicago Hunger Walk. Thousands of people (10,000 were registered, but many thousands more took part) walked and donated to end hunger in our home city of Chicago. The money raised went to the Chicago Food Depository and over 650 food banks in the city. Our team consisted of Patti (our founder and president), Allison (your blogger and Director of Communications), Herb, and Dianne. Thanks to a voice recorder, a watch, and a pedometer, we can give you the play-by-play of our 5k.

• 8:00 AM: Arrived at the Walk. Managed to get free parking, but were quite far from the registration. Herb asked if the distance counted towards our 3.2 miles. Probably not.
• 8:29 AM: Waited near the big banner that read Start. Had received water, snacks, t-shirt, and info from registration. Took pictures. Heard announcements about the sponsors.
• 8:30 AM: The Hunger Walk officially begins!
• 8:40 AM: Walked through first start gate.
• 8:43 AM: Walked through second start gate. Inspirational man on platform with microphone read off names of groups who were walking. "Christ Church! THEY walkin'! Church Sisterhood! THEY walkin'!" Felt very proud to be walkin'.
• 8:44 AM: Walked past stormtrooper and Sith Lord who were apparently there for no other reason than to be photo opportunities. Possibly to encourage walkers.
• 8:53 AM: Path entered lot under McCormick Place. Was dark until we remembered to remove our sunglasses.

• 9:01 AM: Neared end of being under McCormick Place. At 0.75 miles, 1,712 steps.
• 9:07 AM: Walked past the McCormick Bird Sanctuary. Was news to all of us that Chicago had a McCormick Bird Sanctuary.
• 9:18 AM: Reached the turn-around point, which was where path curved to head back, but closer to Lake Michigan. Provided much better photos. Were told that last year, people had to turn around and take same path back so that path was filled with walkers heading in both directions. Were glad it was all one-way this year. 3,588 steps.
• 9:30 AM: Reached the 2-mile marker. Took pictures. 4,893 steps.
• 9:35 AM: Decided to think about rest of race as much longer than actual length so that finish line would arrive much more quickly than expected. Began wailing "We still have SEVEN miles left??" with Herb.
• 9:41 AM: Broke down and had granola bar. 6,046 steps.

• 9:45 AM: While Herb explained the story of the book Unbroken, young woman overheard and asked Herb if he is a history teacher. Flattered, he replied no, he just read the book.
• 9:50 AM: Reached 3-mile marker. Took photos and could smell finish line. 6,965 steps.
• 9:55 AM: FINISHED! The final totals:
• Steps walked: 7,329
• Miles covered: 3.238
• Kilometers covered: 5.212
• Calories burned: 203.5
• 10:52 AM: Capped it all off with some delicious frozen yogurt in air conditioning.

Want to see more photos of our Hunger Walk experience? Check them out on our Facebook page!

Patti's Top Five Favorite Nonprofits

Let's face it, there are a lot of nonprofits out there. Lots of people are doing some amazing good work, but it's hard to know where you should donate your hard-earned money and volunteer your precious free time.

If you're looking for some guidance, we're happy to provide. Patti, our founder and president, is active in many organizations other than us. Check out some of her favorites:

• The Greater Chicago Food Depository (and its subsidiaries): This nonprofit provides food and training to end hunger in Chicago. Patti says it's one of her favorites "because of their amazing focus on feeding the homeless and finding ways to address the needs of vulnerable people in our society."
• The Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development: This nonprofit is one that Patti works closely with in New Orleans to restore the Lower 9th neighborhood. "They are an inspiration and offer hope to the families trying to rebuild their lives and homes in New Orleans. They are an example of commitment to the many volunteers who work under their guidance."
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum & The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center: These two museums are haunting reminders of the atrocity committed against the Jewish people and truly stay with their visitors. She supports them "for keeping alive the specter of the nightmare that could happen when people disregard the human rights of others."
• Planned Parenthood: This diverse organization offers so much health care for women who need help. "The services they give to poor women who have no other place to go are invaluable. They have provide care women's health care that is available in no other place. They are steadfast in their mission to provide health."
• Big 10 Universities (Michigan and Illinois): These two schools "provided such wonderful educational opportunities and gave me the ability to move forward."

And, of course, she is fiercely devoted to us here at Volunteer Expeditions. But you can find out about us right here!

What are your favorite nonprofits? Leave us a comment below!

Young at Heart: Volunteering After Retirement

We just read a very interesting article.

Using Elderly Volunteers To Create A Whole New Workforce by Jack Rosenthal explains the largely untapped potential of retired people to contribute to the market, specifically for nonprofits. Many people face boredom in retirement and want to share their experience and wisdom with younger generations. But, faced with ageism and long hours, it is often difficult to find a place to do so.

Enter ReServe, a nonprofit that matches interested elderly people with organizations in need of knowledgeable part-time help. They create a mutually beneficial relationship where organizations receive good information and aide from an experienced worker, and the worker receives a small stipend and is able to stay busy while contributing to society.

In our experience, the information provided in the article is absolutely true. Only a small percentage of retired workers are disabled or ill, and many still want to contribute. In fact, that's exactly how Volunteer Expeditions was born. Patti had retired, but she wasn't done helping people. And for the last five years, she's sent group after group to New Orleans on volunteer vacations and shared her passion with so many others. By the end of 2012, Patti will be 70 - and she will have sent over 1200 volunteers on meaningful trips!

She isn't alone in this, either. Many of her trips are for religious congregations, which have a wide age range. Her very first group had volunteers as young as 17 and as old as 75! She also has several friends who have started nonprofits of their own as well once they retired, and many others volunteer regularly.

Patti and her diverse groups and friends make it clear that just because someone is past retirement age doesn't mean they are unable to help. With their experience and wisdom, many elderly people have quite a lot to contribute.

Do you work, even though you've retired? In a nonprofit or anywhere else? Tell us about it in the comment section below!

A Testimonial to Remember

There are so many pieces to the Volunteer Expeditions puzzle that are necessary for our continued survival. We need donations, word-of-mouth marketing, the hardworking staff, and our computers...

...But most important of all is you, our volunteers. We certainly can't take groups of no one to New Orleans or Jamaica. But each and every volunteer that has traveled with us is truly a gift. Their dedication, perseverance, and upbeat attitudes inspire us.

That's why we get so excited when we hear positive feedback from our volunteers about their trips. We just got a new recommendation on GuideStar from a volunteer who went on our very first trip, Gail G. Here's what she says:

"Eighteen months post-Katrina, I was privileged to be part of Volunteer Expedition's first trip to NOLA. The ability to reach out and embrace a city that was showing such resilience had a profound and long-lasting effect on me. Through the compassion, commitment, and leadership of Patti Vile and Volunteer Expeditions, what began as a simple trip became a vision for change and one of the most powerful experiences of my life. Patti Vile has gone on to create an environment for learning, growing, and building that is my pleasure to recommend to others looking to make a difference."

Gail, a volunteer and educator, was so inspired by her trip that she just couldn't leave! She stayed in New Orleans for three years and taught special education in a grade school while helping the local community. We salute Gail for her commitment and ability to help others!

 From then till now: our most recent participants follow in Gail's footsteps

while painting a house for a New Orleans homeowner.

Want to be featured in our blog? Write us a recommendation on GuideStar, LinkedIn, or Facebook! We're also open to any kind of feedback--tell us what you would like to see more of by emailing Patti at patti@volunteerexpeditions.org!

Inspring Poetry: "One"

Have you been feeling overwhelmed by how much needs to get done? It's certainly easy to want to shut it all out...after all, what difference can one person make?

According to this inspiring poem, all the difference in the world.

"One" - Unknown
One song can spark a moment
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest
One bird can herald spring
One smile begins a friendship
One handclasp lifts a soul
One star can guide a ship at sea
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness
One laugh will conquer gloom
One step must start each journey
One word must start a prayer
One hope will raise our spirits
One touch can show you care
One voice can speak with wisdom
One heart can know what's true
One life can make a difference
That difference starts with you.

This beautiful poem is so true. It's easy to forget how even the simplest motion, action, or phrase can pave the path for change. But the power of one is undeniable. Take Volunteer Expeditions, for example. All of the good that has been accomplished, all the help delivered, all the lives changed...it all started with our founder and President, Patti. Everything she accomplished certainly wasn't by herself--every group of volunteers that have gone with her have done their fair share of the work!--but Volunteer Expeditions literally would not exist without Patti. Her vision has brought so many volunteers to New Orleans and it's truly inspiring. Your step towards making a difference can start small, but its effects be enormous. And there are countless other ways you can help.

Leave us a comment--what one step did you take to make a difference? What one sentence changed your life or the lives of others?