Community. What does this word really mean? For me, the “Community” tenet of Good Shepherd Volunteers was the most difficult to imagine. I had no idea what a...

As I write this blog post, there are exactly 30 days left of my service year with Good Shepherd Volunteers. I am feeling many emotions as I reflect on my yea...

I always really liked the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.” I elaborated on this a little once I felt I had found l...

[This post was originally delivered as a speech by Martina Penalosa at the 2019 Good Shepherd Volunteers Spring Benefit] A year, depending on how you think a...

Upon committing to volunteering in Thailand, I knew the language barrier would be a significant challenge I’d face during the year. However, I wasn’t too wor...

As a Good Shepherd Volunteer at Collier High School, my days are filled with cold mornings, substitute teaching, quiet lunch duties, and any other helpful wo...

[This post was originally written for and published by the Global Sisters Report on October 31, 2018.  See the post in its original form here.] I grew up in ...

I was introduced to Food 4 Less, a discount grocery store unique to California, on my second day in Los Angeles. I had spent my first night at Martin Luther ...

The world of social work is a difficult one, and as such reminders to take care of ourselves are everywhere. In my interview process I was asked at each stag...

Oftentimes, I find that God sends me the most poignant messages in the ways I am most likely to spot them. When I was fifteen, I started working at a dairy s...

We are elated to ring in our 26th year with 11 volunteers placed in California, New Jersey, New York, and Thailand! The Good Shepherd Volunteer year began th...