We had such an amazing experience working with A Year to Volunteer on the Wild Hearts Equine Therapy project in Seneca South Carolina...
we just can't stop talking about it and are so looking forward to another project. This project even caught the attention of the local newspaper and we ended up on the front page...pretty cool stuff! Being a part of something that has such a positive impact on so many is extremely rewarding; and accomplishing so much while making new friendships, learning new skills and enjoying new experiences makes the adventure so gratifying. One of the most fulfilling things was to see the passion from the owners and facilitators, Jessica and Janine, of Hoppin Horse Farm, home to Wild Hearts Equine Therapy Center...how often do you witness people truly following a passion, sharing their gift, turning a childhood dream into reality...all to better the lives of others. Thank you for welcoming us to be a part of something so cool! For more information on Wild Hearts Equine Therapy Center visit http://www.wildheartsequinetherapy.org/
We met so many amazing people during our three week project. The volunteers came from all across the United States: Indiana, Arizona, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina; all coming together to be a part of something that will change the lives of others. We heard someone say "we are RVing with a purpose". The founders of A Year To Volunteer, Shar & Phil, started with an idea just a year ago that has bloomed into something beyond anything they ever expected. This is their story in their own words "Phil retired from the Navy after a 36 year career. Shar retired from Insurance and Finance. After years of doing humanitarian and volunteer work in our careers, we found ourselves unfulfilled in our daily lives. We wanted to travel the US, but wanted to do it with purpose. One day Shar said, Let’s take a year to volunteer, and the A Year to Volunteer project was born. We plan to visit and volunteer in each state and volunteer for a total of at least 365 days! We find people, places, charities, cities, communities etc, that need help, then we solicit volunteers to give us a hand via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. We don’t limit our projects to just RVers though, we encourage folks in the area and ask them to join in with us as well!"
Through the power of social media and the heart of the RV community A year To Volunteer has blossomed and provided over 10,000 hours of labor in six states in its first year of existence. For more information on A Year To Volunteer visit https://www.ayeartovolunteer.com/
So...How did we get involved with A Year to Volunteer? As all good RVer's; we were watching a YouTube video from You, Me and the RV (Phil & Stacy) and they were participating in a project in Florida Caverns State Park with A Year to Volunteer. We thought "What a great idea" and "we should do that someday". Well, as fate would have it, we were visiting Versailles State Park in Indiana and parked our rig unknowingly just four spaces from Phil and Shar (Y2V). We recognized the logo on their coach, introduced ourselves, and discovered they were in the middle of a project at the park. They invited us to participate in their next project at Wild Hearts Equine Therapy Center in Seneca, South Carolina...and we said "YES".
Consider the benefits to volunteering. We notice a subtle shift in ourselves when we volunteer. We feel more connected to others, and we become less absorbed in the normal stresses of daily life. We share our experiences with others and that fuels the desire to help more.
Sure, we know that volunteering makes us "feel good"...but our experience has proven to enhance both our personal lives and even our health!
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