How to volunteer?

[don88]

I am planning my first Camino for 2015. With bad knees and a talkative hip I plan on going slow with a time budget of 2 months. Though I believe I can do it in less than 45 days. If i do finish early, are there opportunities to volunteer on the Camino for 2 weeks or less?

 

[karenfromcali]

Looking forward to this answer as I am interested too. Also do you need good command of the Spanish language, or any other language to volunteer?

 

[mralisn]

I am planning my first Camino for 2015. With bad knees and a talkative hip I plan on going slow with a time budget of 2 months. Though I believe I can do it in less than 45 days. If i do finish early, are there opportunities to volunteer on the Camino for 2 weeks or less?

Use the search feature above and type in: volunteering on the camino

You will see all kinds of threads and some quite recent.

I think this is very nice for you to think of such a way to spend your extra time after your journey.

My only suggestion would be to see if there is a Camino association near you and see if they offer training. I have only read of training (hospitalero) on a national level recently. I am sure with this much time, you will find many options even beyond being a hosptialero.

Good luck,
Simeon

 

[karenfromcali]

I am planning my first Camino for 2015. With bad knees and a talkative hip I plan on going slow with a time budget of 2 months. Though I believe I can do it in less than 45 days. If i do finish early, are there opportunities to volunteer on the Camino for 2 weeks or less?

Hi Don.
I found this on the forum regarding volunteering in 2014.
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/comm...s-needed-for-the-pilgrim-office-in-sdc.20175/

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Bless you for your willingness to help.
Be aware you may be quite used-up by the end of your journey, and ready for a good rest. Take care of yourself, don´t over-commit.
Because your health is "iffy," your schedule is iffy too. Volunteering for the full two-week stint offered to most hospitaleros in the official Federation schema isn´t an option. Take your volunteering as you take your camino. When you stay at a particularly compelling place, ask the hospitalero during your stay if they might need a short-term volunteer. Once you get to Santiago, give them a call and make arrangements from there. Lots of places make good use of such off-the-cuff labor throughout the season. Spanish language ability is not always required, but it´s a huge plus.
If you are the independent type, you could do your own volunteer duty: get a roll of trash bags or a case of water bottles, and walk backward to Sarria, picking up litter or providing drinks to pilgs along the Way. Or take the train or bus back to some stretch of trail you found most in need of a helping hand -- and become that helping hand.

 

[LTfit]

For those of you interested in finding out more about volunteering as a hospitalero (volunteer in an albergue) please refer to the hospitalero section of the forum:http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/hospitaleros.51/. Courses are given several times a year in Spain and for English speakers in the U.S., Canada and South Africa (Sillydoll). Reb also gave a course in Spain this past December.

Most programs I know of (Spanish Federation volunteers or the Amigos in Santiago) require that you commit to a 2 week period which would be difficult given your personal situation. Private albergues on the other had are more flexible in this respect and do not necessarily require you to take a hospitalero course. I would definately keep in mind Reb's suggestions.

Many forum members that have walked the Camino have returned to volunteer in one capacity or another. It is an experience which I can highly recommend.

 

[t2andreo]

Bless you for your willingness to help.
Be aware you may be quite used-up by the end of your journey, and ready for a good rest. Take care of yourself, don´t over-commit.
Because your health is "iffy," your schedule is iffy too. Volunteering for the full two-week stint offered to most hospitaleros in the official Federation schema isn´t an option. Take your volunteering as you take your camino. When you stay at a particularly compelling place, ask the hospitalero during your stay if they might need a short-term volunteer. Once you get to Santiago, give them a call and make arrangements from there. Lots of places make good use of such off-the-cuff labor throughout the season. Spanish language ability is not always required, but it´s a huge plus.
If you are the independent type, you could do your own volunteer duty: get a roll of trash bags or a case of water bottles, and walk backward to Sarria, picking up litter or providing drinks to pilgs along the Way. Or take the train or bus back to some stretch of trail you found most in need of a helping hand -- and become that helping hand.

Rebekah:

That was an outstanding post! Thank you. This year, on my second go at the Camino Frances, I do plan to bring a bunch of those disposable, reusable (definitely not green) plastic grocery bags we still have here in the States to use along the way to pick up trash as I walk. It is one way to begin to give back. I also volunteered to serve as an Amigo at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago - selections to be made in February. Lastly, I still plan to contact you in advance about planting the tree for Philip Wren.

I also enjoyed your posts about the BIG wedding in the States very much. Congratulations! Isn't it really weird coming back after you've lived abroad for a while? When you first get back here, you almost feel like a "foreigner." You see things through a different set of eyes. Anyway, I am glad to see you came through it all okay. So, tell the truth, what did you schlep back from the U.S. that you missed having easily available in Spain? I used to bring Oreos and peanut butter when I returned to Belgium every few months.

Happy New Year! Be well.

 

[don88]

Thank you all for the thoughtful replies. I was glad to see Reb's recommendation to wait and see in Santiago. I volunteer full time at a school here in California and would not feel right to not give back to the Camino. Just reading in the forum and blogs of others Caminos has made me a different person. My own Camino? Can't wait. Thank you. Don

 

[karenfromcali]

Bless you for your willingness to help.
Be aware you may be quite used-up by the end of your journey, and ready for a good rest. Take care of yourself, don´t over-commit.
Because your health is "iffy," your schedule is iffy too. Volunteering for the full two-week stint offered to most hospitaleros in the official Federation schema isn´t an option. Take your volunteering as you take your camino. When you stay at a particularly compelling place, ask the hospitalero during your stay if they might need a short-term volunteer. Once you get to Santiago, give them a call and make arrangements from there. Lots of places make good use of such off-the-cuff labor throughout the season. Spanish language ability is not always required, but it´s a huge plus.
If you are the independent type, you could do your own volunteer duty: get a roll of trash bags or a case of water bottles, and walk backward to Sarria, picking up litter or providing drinks to pilgs along the Way. Or take the train or bus back to some stretch of trail you found most in need of a helping hand -- and become that helping hand.

Love these suggestions Rebekah. Thank you.