Spring Break has come and gone and I’ve returned from Almost Heaven, W.Va., cool and refreshed. I was sad to leave the Blue Ridge Mountains, where colorful splashes of green and yellow overwhelmed every scenic overlook and wild animals roamed the small quaint town of Franklin, W.Va.

I had no real expectations for my Habitat for Humanity trip, but now that I’ve gone, I’ve been moved by the hospitality of strangers and have seen the powerful effects volunteers make in the lives of people I otherwise wouldn’t have met. This experience drew me to the organization World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).

WWOOF is a global network of farmers and volunteers who are ‘living, learning, sharing organic lifestyles’ and working together to provide organic farming and spreading the idea of sustainable living across the globe.  

Created in the United Kingdom in 1971, WWOOF is now an international ‘exchange’ organization that ‘in return for volunteer help, hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.’ Volunteers, also known as ‘WWOOFERS,’ chose which location they would like to live in and make direct contact with their host families. It’s similar to study abroad, but instead of building an educational commitment for several months, volunteers learn the ins and outs of farming organically and the ecological contributions WWOOF makes in each country.

The most wonderful aspect of WWOOF is the plethora of destinations the organization offers to people who are genuinely invested in making the commitment. For those who love to travel and are once again confronted with the reality of a dwindling bank account, this may be the great alternative. WWOOF volunteers, aka ‘WWOOFERS,’ and WWOOF hosts don’t pay to stay or host. Other than the small fee paid to the WWOOF organization itself and the plane ticket, volunteers are practically staying for free in a foreign country, living as part of the family with their hosts.

My exploration south has exposed me to a different aspect of the volunteering culture that I truly loved: the sense of camaraderie everyone had on the trip. Everywhere we went, we were overwhelmed with the generosity and gratitude of these local homeowners and construction workers that we worked with.

Hoping to elevate the experience from this past trip, I’m trying to see if I can travel during the next year or so to India as part of the country’s national chapter of WWOOF. According to wwolfindia.org, ‘India had 1,426 certified organic farms producing approximately 14,000 tons of organic food/ produce annually.’

But my fascination with India was also spurred by the country’s everlasting sense of history and culture, and if the opportunity arises that I can actually make the trek as a fellow ‘WWOOFER,’ it’ll be another thing crossed off my bucket list.  

It’s only during our 20s that we can go on these trips without the headaches of worrying about jobs and internships. Take a chance and volunteer for an organization like WWOOF. It’ll expand the definition of volunteering and spice up the everyday mundane.

Angela Hu is a sophomore magazine journalism and English and textual studies major. Her column appears weekly, and she can be reached at ajhu01@syr.edu.

Published on March 28, 2010 at 12:00 pm