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Dominican Republic
Women's Leadership Trip
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Our first trip of the 2019 travel season, the Dominican Republic Women's Leadership program, has come to a successful conclusion, as led by Bianca Pitman, Art Teacher from MacArthur HS. The Girl Scouts partnered with SOS for this special program that empowers women in San Antonio and in the Dominican Republic!
As Bianca Pitman said, "we visited several bateys (projects) where we were able to meet with the non-profits that assisted the needy there. There were schools made of cinder block with dirt floors and desks that were falling apart. There were homes sprinkled along dirt paths, littered with broken glass and debris, but the people were kind and happy to see us there. For them, when we visit it means help is on the way. They know we might make change and they appreciated our curiosity. We discovered ways that we could continue to help after we returned to the States. This makes me so proud that all of the girls were brainstorming ways to help. What we want most, thanks to being enlightened by our Peace Corps alum tour guide, is to help them to create a system of independence instead of fostering a culture of dependence on outside help. I can’t wait to see what the girls come up with together.
Before we left we were able to visit the Peace Corps Dominican Republic headquarters, and the girls were able to getter a deeper understanding of their mission and ask great questions. We may just have a few future volunteers on our hands! It was an amazing trip that I will never forget. The girls grew so much and had amazing conversations about what it meant to be a leader, how being a woman in the DR could be a struggle due to the intense machismo culture and how community service doesn’t just mean the community you live in but that service to the people around the world connects us all. This trip was special."
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Darmstadt, Germany Ambassador Trip June 30-July 13
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SOS is off to San Antonio's sister city of Darmstadt, Germany, led by Marion Torres, Amir Samandi, and Ashli Andersen. Our 35 students have been learning about German culture all year in preparation for this trip. Students had to apply to join, attend 4 classes on German language and culture prior to the trip, plus serve their 15 hour service requirement and we are finally here! The group left yesterday and will return on July 13th. Follow their journey on our social media.
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England and France Trip
July 18-27
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We were there in 2016, and we are headed back this month! Mrs. Orona (Zwart) is leading 31 travelers that will be visiting the United Kingdom and France as the last of our 2019 International Summer travels. These students have been learning and serving, and are now ready to explore the best that London and Paris have to offer, in addition to a few excursions outside of those cities! Follow all these stories on our social media!
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Meet the new Volunteer getConnected app, the companion app to our amazing new volunteer portal. It was created especially for SOS to automate reminders for volunteers to check in and out, and to make sure that all of our volunteers get credit for all of their incredible work. It is being released in Beta testing now, so there will be more features as it develops, but try it out and watch for more features.
Copy these links to share the app with your volunteers or click to download it for IOS and Android:
For iPhone: http://bit.ly/VolunteerGetConnected_iphone
For Android: http://bit.ly/VolunteerGetConnected_Android
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Host a Student From China!
There's still time to host a student or two from China!
We are still taking sign ups for people who are interested in hosting. You do not need to commit to anything now, but if you are open to the idea of hosting, please fill out the form below.
Hosting would be from July 22nd until July 28th 2019, and SOS provides programming for the students, while you help with transportation, breakfasts, dinners, and a place to sleep.
Students can earn service up to 40 service hours for hosting.
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SOS Merchandise and T-Shirts
Did you know that you can purchase SOS shirts on our website? You can order and pay online and have your order shipped to your house! We added this feature recently to make it easier for volunteers to purchase SOS shirts and other merchandise.
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July's Volunteer Opportunities
- July 6, SAMM Ministries - sprucing up the facility for the residents
- July 13, Texas Diaper Bank - packaging diapers and wipes
- July 20, Heartis Living Senior Care - Board games and activities with seniors
- July 23, San Antonio Food Bank - warehouse sorting and packing
- July 31, Youth Literacy - read to elementary students
You can find all the details for our events, and where to sign up for them on our brand new Volunteer Portal; however, we ask that you always wear your SOS shirt to the volunteer events if you have one.
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Airport Ambassador Volunteering
Set up your own schedule, great for summer!
San Antonio International Airport
SOS has an agreement with the San Antonio Airport, to volunteer as Teen Airport Ambassadors. Be the face of San Antonio to visitors from around the world!
Duties
- Greet arriving and departing passengers
- Provide way-finding assistance for passengers navigating the airport
- Staff information booths
- Assist Program Coordinator with assignments
- Special Event Support
Requirements
- Minimum 8 hours per Month
- Minimum of 2 hours per shift
- Must be in 9th -12th grade and have reliable transportation
- Ambassadors should commit to between 6 moths to 1 year in this role
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DoSeum Volunteering
Saturdays (Set up your own after training)
8:45 AM - 12:45 PM
2800 Broadway
Volunteering for trained volunteers only. If you have not been trained, there is a new volunteer orientation at the DoSeum every third Saturday of the month. You MUST attend one of these orientations before you can volunteer at the DoSeum. These shifts are not group events, but do count toward your SOS hours. You can schedule them at your own convenience.
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Make It Happen Summer Projects
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Summer is finally here! Was there an organization that you wanted to help during the school year, but didn't get the chance? Then now is the perfect time to make your Make It Happen plans.
Make It Happen is an opportunity for students to create their own community service projects with all of the support of the SOS family behind them. So if there are any SOSers out there who've been wanting to do a special project, feel free to reach out. The SOS staff is always happy to help with your projects.
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