- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2013 - 2018 , Pilgrim Office volunteer 2014 - 2022
NOTE FROM THE MODS: Tom posted an update to this thread on Oct. 17, 2021.
See it here:
That’s why this thread has been locked.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Over the past several months, several fellow Forum members have asked individually about how to go about offering their services as volunteers (voluntarios) at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago. Each time, I have replied. In addition, I provided much of this information in direct replies within varied postings.
However, the number of individual inquiries has recently risen to the point where I think a good, general posting that is easily searchable would be appropriate. So, here it is. I took the most recent Private Message (PM) I shared with another Forum member as the basis for this post.
I have had the privilege of working there for the past four years and plan to serve again for a month this summer (2018). So, if you are so motivated, I can certainly point you in the right direction.
First, and as others have asked me, religion is not a prerequisite. Although I am a Cradle Catholic myself, I am not aware that this has ever been a requirement. Having done at least one Camino IS a baseline requirement. They prefer volunteers who can both talk the talk and have walked the walk.
Second, as regards language skills, more is better, and Spanish is most preferred. But they will consider anyone with some skills in that area.
The language need also depends on the time of year you seek to volunteer. For example, if you work in the latter half of July and during August, Spanish is more highly valued as the percentage of arriving volunteers who speak Spanish as a first language is huge. From May until mid-July, the mix is more varied and other European languages are relatively more helpful.
For reference, to improve my survival level pilgrim Spanish, I use a Pimsleur CD course with 30 lessons that I repeat in cycle. I also use Duolingo.com every day to reinforce the spoken lessons. Each time I volunteer, my Spanish comprehension improves. I am very much a work in progress...
Third, as regards the actual process of becoming a volunteer / voluntario at the Pilgrim Office, I am repeating the content of previous posts as general post to all the forum readers who might be similarly interested. Here it is:
"To answer those who are interested in becoming Pilgrim Office volunteers / voluntarios, here is the procedure:
1. Write an e-mail to Sra. Montse Díaz at:
(NOTE: 'Mohn-say' is short for 'Monserrat,' a traditional woman's name in some provinces of Spain.)
info@acogidacristianaenelcamino.es
The message must be in Spanish. Introduce yourself. Indicate how many and which Caminos you have done, and when. I use the Microsoft BIng translator for best results.
2. Explain your level of Spanish spoken. Mine is basic, but I can communicate adequately.
3. Offer your services as a voluntario for a period of not less than two weeks. The cycle is from (about) 1 - 15 of the month, and 16 - 30/31 of each month, depending on the month.
Information of interest:
Office work schedules start on Mondays.
Volunteers generally work six days out of seven. Every volunteer has a "dia libre" (day-off). That day off can vary from week to week.
The standard daily work shifts for volunteers are: 10:00 - 15:00 and 15:00 - 20:00. This fits into the work shifts for the full-time staff. They start earlier and end later.
The 'season' starts at Easter (Semana Santa) and runs through the end of September. The "peak season" is about 15 June - 15 September. That is when voluntarios are most needed.
The weather in Santiago during June - September is equivalent to the winter months in South Florida where I live. That is to say DELIGHTFUL! That is one big reason I come to help when I do. The sun is warm, but the humidity is low. NIghts can be chilly. Rain is sparse. But, I would come anyway, and will as often as they invite me back.
You pay to get here and back, and to feed yourself. The volunteer coordinating group ACC (Acogida Cristiana en el Camino) provides free lodging.
Fluency in Spanish is not necessary, but some knowledge is. Volunteers who can converse in Spanish, or other needed languages, find themselves working behind the counter interviewing arriving pilgrims from all over the world and issuing Compostelas.
Folks like me, with a more rudimentary knowledge of Spanish, end up doing other supporting work that helps the rest of the staff, paid and volunteer, remain effective. The word around the office is that: "Tomas will do ANYTHING that is legal if you ask. If it is 'sketchy,' you need to ask real nice..."
That said, since I returned last August, I have been doing and repeating my Pimsleur CD Spanish course, using www.duolingo.com online, and listening to a series of university lectures about Spain. When I complete the courses, I repeat them...again and again...
Remember, the pilgrim flat does have an equipped kitchen, so you can shop and cook if you choose. They provide housing.
The pilgrim flat also has a washing machine, but no dryer. You spin the clothes as much as you can, then hang them on a folding drying rack. I employ 'batchelor ironing.' That is spin the clothes out using the machine, snap them open and hang on a hanger to dry. Presto! No wrinkles!
As from last September, the P/O has a new flat in a VERY historic building. All the above notes apply here. This, former vicarage, is located in the nearly 900 year-old Convento de Santa Clara de Asis (Convent of Saint Clare of Assisi), on Rua de San Roque. It has five bedrooms and three bathrooms, two kitchens, and a large salon or living room. It enjoys a marvelous overlook of the old city and the Cathedral, and is a 10-minute uphill walk from the Pilgrim Office. Google it... I toured the building before they actually took legal possession last year. It is fabulous!
Now is the time to toss your hat in the ring. Once we are into March, they have all their plans made. Remember, the early bird... I will walk into Santiago again in the second half of April. Usually, this is when I greet my old friends at the Pilgrim Office and elsewhere in Santiago, and arrange my specific dates. As soon as I return home, I make my travel arrangements.
Feel free to ask further questions. Oh, and tell Monste in your e-mail that: "Thomas, el grande Norteamericano con la barba" sent you... That is 'the big American with the beard...' I grew it on Camino last year and the family directed me to keep it.
Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Tom
See it here:
That’s why this thread has been locked.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Over the past several months, several fellow Forum members have asked individually about how to go about offering their services as volunteers (voluntarios) at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago. Each time, I have replied. In addition, I provided much of this information in direct replies within varied postings.
However, the number of individual inquiries has recently risen to the point where I think a good, general posting that is easily searchable would be appropriate. So, here it is. I took the most recent Private Message (PM) I shared with another Forum member as the basis for this post.
I have had the privilege of working there for the past four years and plan to serve again for a month this summer (2018). So, if you are so motivated, I can certainly point you in the right direction.
First, and as others have asked me, religion is not a prerequisite. Although I am a Cradle Catholic myself, I am not aware that this has ever been a requirement. Having done at least one Camino IS a baseline requirement. They prefer volunteers who can both talk the talk and have walked the walk.
Second, as regards language skills, more is better, and Spanish is most preferred. But they will consider anyone with some skills in that area.
The language need also depends on the time of year you seek to volunteer. For example, if you work in the latter half of July and during August, Spanish is more highly valued as the percentage of arriving volunteers who speak Spanish as a first language is huge. From May until mid-July, the mix is more varied and other European languages are relatively more helpful.
For reference, to improve my survival level pilgrim Spanish, I use a Pimsleur CD course with 30 lessons that I repeat in cycle. I also use Duolingo.com every day to reinforce the spoken lessons. Each time I volunteer, my Spanish comprehension improves. I am very much a work in progress...
Third, as regards the actual process of becoming a volunteer / voluntario at the Pilgrim Office, I am repeating the content of previous posts as general post to all the forum readers who might be similarly interested. Here it is:
"To answer those who are interested in becoming Pilgrim Office volunteers / voluntarios, here is the procedure:
1. Write an e-mail to Sra. Montse Díaz at:
(NOTE: 'Mohn-say' is short for 'Monserrat,' a traditional woman's name in some provinces of Spain.)
info@acogidacristianaenelcamino.es
The message must be in Spanish. Introduce yourself. Indicate how many and which Caminos you have done, and when. I use the Microsoft BIng translator for best results.
2. Explain your level of Spanish spoken. Mine is basic, but I can communicate adequately.
3. Offer your services as a voluntario for a period of not less than two weeks. The cycle is from (about) 1 - 15 of the month, and 16 - 30/31 of each month, depending on the month.
Information of interest:
Office work schedules start on Mondays.
Volunteers generally work six days out of seven. Every volunteer has a "dia libre" (day-off). That day off can vary from week to week.
The standard daily work shifts for volunteers are: 10:00 - 15:00 and 15:00 - 20:00. This fits into the work shifts for the full-time staff. They start earlier and end later.
The 'season' starts at Easter (Semana Santa) and runs through the end of September. The "peak season" is about 15 June - 15 September. That is when voluntarios are most needed.
The weather in Santiago during June - September is equivalent to the winter months in South Florida where I live. That is to say DELIGHTFUL! That is one big reason I come to help when I do. The sun is warm, but the humidity is low. NIghts can be chilly. Rain is sparse. But, I would come anyway, and will as often as they invite me back.
You pay to get here and back, and to feed yourself. The volunteer coordinating group ACC (Acogida Cristiana en el Camino) provides free lodging.
Fluency in Spanish is not necessary, but some knowledge is. Volunteers who can converse in Spanish, or other needed languages, find themselves working behind the counter interviewing arriving pilgrims from all over the world and issuing Compostelas.
Folks like me, with a more rudimentary knowledge of Spanish, end up doing other supporting work that helps the rest of the staff, paid and volunteer, remain effective. The word around the office is that: "Tomas will do ANYTHING that is legal if you ask. If it is 'sketchy,' you need to ask real nice..."
That said, since I returned last August, I have been doing and repeating my Pimsleur CD Spanish course, using www.duolingo.com online, and listening to a series of university lectures about Spain. When I complete the courses, I repeat them...again and again...
Remember, the pilgrim flat does have an equipped kitchen, so you can shop and cook if you choose. They provide housing.
The pilgrim flat also has a washing machine, but no dryer. You spin the clothes as much as you can, then hang them on a folding drying rack. I employ 'batchelor ironing.' That is spin the clothes out using the machine, snap them open and hang on a hanger to dry. Presto! No wrinkles!
As from last September, the P/O has a new flat in a VERY historic building. All the above notes apply here. This, former vicarage, is located in the nearly 900 year-old Convento de Santa Clara de Asis (Convent of Saint Clare of Assisi), on Rua de San Roque. It has five bedrooms and three bathrooms, two kitchens, and a large salon or living room. It enjoys a marvelous overlook of the old city and the Cathedral, and is a 10-minute uphill walk from the Pilgrim Office. Google it... I toured the building before they actually took legal possession last year. It is fabulous!
Now is the time to toss your hat in the ring. Once we are into March, they have all their plans made. Remember, the early bird... I will walk into Santiago again in the second half of April. Usually, this is when I greet my old friends at the Pilgrim Office and elsewhere in Santiago, and arrange my specific dates. As soon as I return home, I make my travel arrangements.
Feel free to ask further questions. Oh, and tell Monste in your e-mail that: "Thomas, el grande Norteamericano con la barba" sent you... That is 'the big American with the beard...' I grew it on Camino last year and the family directed me to keep it.
Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Tom
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