About Volunteer Global

About Volunteer Global ~ Meet the Team! ~ Contact Us

Volunteer Global connects travelers with service groups worldwide through our directory of programs and through our blog, which is updated daily with news, advice, and stories about volunteering abroad. Volunteer organizations both large and small are invited to create Travel Buddy accounts, where they can add profile pages, highlighted projects, press releases, and more to help recruit talented, passionate volunteers.

Our History

Volunteer Global started as a research project in 2005—daunted by the sheer number of volunteer abroad programs available for a potential summer trip, Sarah Palmer (an incredible nerd) created a table comparing groups by cost, project, location, and more. And then she put it online for other potential volunteers to use.

Where We Are Now

Over the past several years, we’ve grown and changed dramatically; what used to be a one-page table has turned into a network through which volunteer organizations both large and small can market the great work they do.

In spring 2011, Stephanie Heiken was brought onboard to contribute to our blog, which provides advice, stories, and news about volunteering and travel worldwide. That fall, Brittany Edwardes joined the team to write articles of her own and to manage our Facebook page.

Where We’re Going

In December 2011, Sarah and our Director of Operations, Eric Timbers, left their jobs with Peace Corps to expand Volunteer Global into a larger network that will connect volunteers and the organizations they can work with—and to add volunteer trips of our own.

We’re incredibly excited to see where it goes; and we’re glad to have you join us along the way!

Sarah Palmer, Founder

I started Volunteer Global as a hobby during a college internship with the Peace Corps, and for the next few years, researched as much as I could about volunteer travel. I graduated from the George Washington University in 2008, and was hired as a Program Assistant with the Peace Corps' Coverdell Fellows team.

This winter, I quit my job and began working with Volunteer Global full-time--and I can't wait to see what 2012 brings for us!

If you’d like to get in touch with me, send an email to s.palmer@volunteerglobal.com or Skype me at VolGlobal.

Eric Timbers, Director of Operations

Eric joined Volunteer Global in December 2011, and is our Director of Operations.

Navy brat and global wanderer Eric Timbers is a former IT Specialist for Peace Corps in Washington, D.C. and volunteer in Ghana and Antigua. An alum of the University of Florida with majors in Microbiology and Psychology, he revels in the nature and experience of traveling and exploration in all forms.

After working together with Sarah at PC Headquarters, he decided it was time to get back to his volunteering and cultural exchange roots and leapt at the opportunity to begin assisting others to achieve like-minded goals working at Volunteer Global. He can be reached for any inquiries and suggestions at e.timbers@volunteerglobal.com.

Brittany Edwardes, Blogger & Marketer

Brittany joined Volunteer Global in September 2011. You can read her blog here, or follow her posts on Facebook here.

Brittany Edwardes is a senior at the University of Central Arkansas and has spent her last year working in Thailand and interning in Washington, D.C. An AmeriCorps alum, Brittany loves to devote her time to volunteering near and far.

Stephanie Heiken, Blogger

Stephanie joined Volunteer Global in April 2011. You can read her blog here.

Stephanie Heiken is a student at Central College in Pella, IA, studying Political Science and Spanish. Over the last year she has studied and interned in Merida, Mexico, and in Washington D.C.—she’s currently studying abroad in The Netherlands. In the future she hopes to enter the field of International Development.