On the latest episode of Oprah's Next Chapter, the talk show icon visited Sean Penn at his J/P HRO camp in Haiti. Penn has been helping with the Haiti relief effort since the catastrophic earthquake hit in 2010. His organization provides emergency medical services, distributes food and water purification systems, and runs Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps with the ultimate goal of finding stable housing for all those still living in the camps.

Oprah toured the camp with Penn, who explained there are still more than 20,000 people living in the tent city, which includes a market where people trade goods, a clinic, and a free school that educates more than 400 kids.]]> cmb 2012-02-01T14:12:10-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/25/131434/755

The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain is once again offering guests the chance to do good in 2012 with their Give Back Getaways project.

The philanthropic initiative gives guests the chance to spend a half-day volunteering with Ritz-Carlton employees in the communities surrounding their properties across the world.

The Give Back Getaway projects often also include an experience volunteers wouldn't be able to have otherwise. The Dallas Soup Savior Project, for example, lets hotel guests work with the culinary team behind the scenes in The Ritz-Carlton kitchen. The end result is a soup that will be delivered to the SoupMobile, which serves approximately 600 meals to the homeless in Dallas on a daily basis.

For more information about what projects are available this year, visit RitzCarlton.com.

[Photo: Ritz-Carlton Dallas]]]> cmb 2012-01-25T14:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/18/123549/934

Last week the Joplin, MO Convention and Visitors Bureau sparked controversy among residents of the tornado-ravaged town when they launched a new "Tornado Tourism" Map. Visitors can pick up the map, for free, at several local hotels and restaurants to find the best routes through the disaster zone.

The Visitor Bureau Director defended the map after residents called it "tacky" and "insensitive" saying, "We are not actively promoting the tornado, mainly, (the map) is a piece of information. Maybe people will have a reason to give, or put together a volunteer group because there's still a lot of work being done, or even come into town and buy something." ]]> cmb 2012-01-18T15:05:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/11/123924/815

If your New Year's resolution was to do good in 2012, Destination Earth has just launched a new volunteer tour to Cambodia and Vietnam perfect for kicking off the year in a positive way.

On January 16, the first of group of travelers to take part in the new program are headed to Vietnam and Cambodia for a 2-week eco-volunteer trip which will include donating supplies, teaching English, and finishing a footbridge that will help students get to school.

The group has similar trips planned throughout the year, like a 10-day Cambodia trip leaving on January 20 that will explore Phnom Penh, the Temples of Angkor Wat, and local floating villages. Tours include accommodations, most meals, entrance fees, and ground transportation. Right now Destination Earth is also offering a last minute special for the Cambodia tour starting at $1,875.

For more information about Destination Earth and their upcoming tours visit www.destination-earth.org.

[Photo: veachearnewvision.com]]]> cmb 2012-01-11T15:04:56-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/21/131946/06

Volunteers in Colorado are helping to build a completely new hiking trail, called the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), that stretches from Mexico to Canada and across Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Volunteers with the Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA)—based in Golden, Colorado—dig out the trail, clear vegetation and move huge boulders and trees from the established route.

If forging a new trail sounds like a New Year's resolution you'd like to make, CDTA is already lining up volunteers for next season, which runs from April to October. Volunteer trips can last from one day to one week and include trail building, maintaining the existing trail, helping the crew chefs prepare meals, and participating in educational outreach programs. Trip leaders provide all gear, food and water, while volunteers bring their own tents, sleeping bags and day packs. ]]> cmb 2011-12-21T14:31:35-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/7/125848/824

If you've ever thought about taking a volunteer vacation but haven't been sure if it's for you, next year you'll have a chance to get your feet wet in the world of voluntourism, without traveling too far from home.

Biosphere Expeditions, an international volunteer organization that runs conservation expeditions around the world, is giving potential volunteers a chance to see what it’s like to be in the field, without making a huge commitment. ]]> cmb 2011-12-07T12:58:48-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/11/16/135912/10

You might not be able to make it to an overseas military base to thank a soldier in person this holiday season, but there is still time to send the troops a holiday card through the Red Cross Holiday Mail For Heroes program.

The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes are partnering for the fifth time to ensure all Americans have the chance to send "a touch of home" to U.S. military members who are far away from their homes during the holidays.

To send a holiday card to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, all you need to do is write out a card using the salutation "Dear Service Member," include a note of gratitude, and send it to the address below by December 9, 2011: ]]> cmb 2011-11-16T13:59:12-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/