Volunteer Guide - Welcome
Dear Outreach360 Program Volunteers,
Thank you for choosing to make a difference by signing up to volunteer with Outreach360 trip to volunteer trip to the Dominican Republic. Thank you for your generosity in giving of your time and funds.
You will have an excellent experience learning about the culture where you are working while making a meaningful difference. Outreach360 focuses on meeting real needs with the talents and resources our volunteers and donors are willing and able to give.
Our mission is to "Release the Hero". As you are involved with the children in the Dominican Republic, you begin to release the talents and abilities within them; you "Release the Hero". As you Release the Hero within them, you also release the hero within yourself. And as you involve other people with Outreach360, inviting them to volunteer with you, or to donate toward your program donation, you release the hero within them as well.
Outreach360 has experienced consistent growth in our volunteer program since our beginning in 1994, to the point where over 15,000 volunteers have now joined us. As we have grown, we have been able to expand our focus within disadvantaged communities, providing educational opportunities to children.
Our model for the future is to focus on "Learning Centers", places where pre-school children can receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch while being involved with early childhood activities, where 1st through 8th grade children can learn to read at or above their grade level and become fluent in English, and where high school youth can learn a vocational trade or get prepared to attend college. So, by the time a child involved with Outreach360 has finished high school, he or she is prepared for a job or able to attend college.
Thank you for being an important part of our ongoing efforts!
We request your next steps to be:
- Thoroughly read the sections of this Volunteer Guide listed on the left side of the page.
- Invite people you know to join you on this volunteer experience. It's a great experience to share. People will likely not remember that last gift you gave them, but they will remember that you invited them to join Outreach360.
- Begin your fund-raising by sending out e-mails to family and friends using the automated "Spread the Word" tool on Outreach360 Connect.
- Purchase your airline ticket when you are confident that you will have your trip program donation into our office by the funds due date.
Please share this Volunteer Guide with people who are concerned about you and interested in your trip; parents, spouses, etc. Sometimes they have more concerns than you do, especially when they don't have all the information you have.
This guide will contain most of the answers to your questions, but please let us know should you have any additional questions regarding the program
On behalf of Outreach360, thank you again for volunteering for this great adventure. We look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
Tom Eklund
Executive Director