Volunteering

[Jeffrey Crawley]

Carlos,

You can volunteer to work at the refugio Guacelmo in Rabanal del Camino
which is run by the Confraternity of St James in London (contact Dr Alison
Pinkerton through www.csj.org.uk ) but they, like other organisations prefer
hospitaleros to have walked the Camino themselves.  I have another contact
for volunteering in other refugios but I have recently moved house and the
address is buried - I'll try to find it for you over Easter.

The only requirements (from CSJ that is) is a willingness to get up at 5.30
everyday with a smile on your face, some knowledge of first aid (for all
those blisters) and (hopefully) some language ability (there are very few
anglophones in Rabanal for instance) and that you not be too squeamish when
it comes to clearing blocked toilet bowls!!

As for working 10 weeks . . .  I wouldn't advise it. Two to three weeks at
the most, a month is stretching it.  Working on the Camino is a very
different experience to being a peregrino - and it is WORK too: the day at
Rabanal ran from 5.30am until 10.30pm with perhaps a 2 hour break before the
doors were open at 1.00pm.

On the other hand, the villagers will take you to their hearts and you'll be
sorry to leave.

The CSJ have a Wardens' Workshop in November each year (London I'm afraid)
after which they try to sort out the list for the following year.  You might
be able to get placements through them but, as I say, they DO like you to be
an experienced pilgrim first.

Best of luck and a happy Easter.

Jeffrey Crawley

-----Original Message-----
From: Carlos Mentley [mailto:mentleyaERSKINE.EDU]
Sent: 16 April 2003 21:39
To: GOCAMINO
Subject: Volunteering


Amazing how things develop after just one pilgrimage experience ...

Any members who have experience as a volunteer hospitalero or who know
about how to become one, I would love to hear from you.  I am thinking
that it might be possible to set up a service learning program through
my college for students who could work from a month to ten weeks in the
summer.

One more thing ... for anyone who finds a great airfare: please tell us
the dates for the airfare, since the price is directly related to when
you travel.

Thank you in advance!

Carlos Mentley
Department of Modern Languages
Erskine College
Due West, SC  29639