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The Colorado River is seen at the bottom of the Grand Canyon on April 20th, 2018.

Letter From Phantom Ranch: Meet the Man Who Lives at the Bottom of the Grand Canyon

Sjors Horstman has spent the last 30 years of his life at the bottom of the Grand Canyon as a volunteer for the National Park Service—one of the longest-serving volunteers in NPS history.

Jessi Phillips

A volunteer tries to console a refugee on Sykamia beach, on the Greek island of Lesbos.

News in Brief

The Hidden Costs of Volunteering in Greece

Thousands of volunteer are going to Greece in hopes of making even a small dent on the country’s refugee crisis. But, weeks later, many find themselves out of element and out of support.

Jacqueline Kantor

Economics

#InstagrammingAfrica: The Narcissism of Global Voluntourism

Voluntourism is ultimately about the fulfillment of the volunteers themselves, not necessarily what they bring to the communities they visit.

Lauren Kascak & Sayantani DasGupta

Education

Help Others to Help Yourself: High School Students Benefit From Volunteer Work

Getting teenagers off of the couch can be difficult, but the benefits are undeniable.

Kevin Charles Fleming

Can Compulsory Service Reunite the Nation?

An off comment by a conservative pundit has reignited the idea of having young Americans do a stint of service for their nation.

Jeff Shear

Economics

Volunteer Work Prolongs Lives of Frail Elderly

New research finds that among the elderly, functional limitations are associated with an increased risk of dying — but only for those who don’t do volunteer work.

Tom Jacobs