Volunteer with New Community Project

NCP invites youth or young adults to spend a week or more with us, working on projects that are important to the earth and its people. Help us develop web pages, get out mailings, work on campaigns—in short, get the word out about living fairer with our neighbors and sustainably with the planet.

You provide transportation, your great ideas, and your considerable energy. We provide food, housing, and plenty of rewarding work.

Contact David Radcliff for more information or to talk about a time to volunteer. If you're not convinced yet, read what Kylee Leland, our first volunteer, had to say about her time with NCP. And just because Kylee cooked us a great lunch one day, don't think you have to do that too—unless you want to….

Kylee Leland—NCP Volunteer, December 13-18, 2004

Hi, my name is Kylee Leland. First I'll tell you a little bit about myself. I was adopted from India at the age of 5, and am now 17 years old. I live in the small town of Eldora, Iowa and graduated from Grundy Center High School in November 2004. I chose to do an early graduation my senior year because I wanted to do a four-month volunteer program in Belize , which is located in Central America . I will be working with mentally handicapped adults, teaching classes to younger children, working to preserve the rainforests, and teaching about AIDS and HIV in the community. I will go in mid January and come back in May to graduate with my class.

I've been brought up in ways different than most of my peers. My parents have done a great job teaching me about the bigger world, helping people, and the impact we have on our environment. As I've gotten older, I have learned to appreciate that way of thinking, and have gone to many countries such as Guatemala , Puerto Rico , Honduras , and Belize to do workcamps and faith expeditions. Going to these different countries and learning about how other people live in the world inspires me to move beyond myself and help people. I live in a small town with sometimes narrow-minded views, and sometimes it's hard to get resources and learn about the ways I can make a difference in my everyday life. That's why I decided to work at New Community Project this week, to learn about different cultures, and learn about what kinds of things that people in these kind of organizations do to make an impact on others.

I have always been inspired by David Radcliff, whenever he spoke at Annual Conference, District Youth Retreats, or led trips to other countries. He understands that people my age are the next generation, and we do have the power to make a difference in the way we live our everyday lives. This week I have been working with David and Amy Rhoades doing various jobs here at New Community Project. I've helped write letters, stuff envelopes, do research and even cook! But I would have to say my most rewarding job was doing research for my project on the website, Fast Food? Not so Fast! Who would've known that for every hamburger, 2,500 gallons of water is used? Who would've known that eating junk food like chocolate hurts rainforests in South America ? I never even knew that 56% of children in Bangladesh are so underweight and underfed that their health is diminished while on the other hand 55% of adults in the U.S. are so overweight and overfed that their health is diminished. These facts are so ironic and unfair, but it inspires me to change my habits.

Working here has definitely given me a new perspective on life. No matter what job I did, it helped to know that I am a small but critical part of getting the word out to people about what we are doing to hurt the environment and people in third world countries. Amy Rhoades and David Radcliff have definitely inspired me and given me hope that there are things we can do to stop this destruction and wasteful consumption of our earth. Before I worked here, I hardly thought about how eating affects our environment, or how simple little things end up as serious consequences. I know now that I don't have to be a famous speaker, or even have lots of power to make a difference. My power can come through in the way I live, through eating, using less gas, and cutting back on precious natural resources. Now that I know how I live affects the environment and our future, I am definitely more conscious of my actions. I didn't know that I could learn so much while working here for one week, but God teaches us lessons in ways we never imagine. But I do understand that knowledge is power, and I will use this power to impact the world and people.