Thinking about this summer’s vacation? Now it is possible to head for some exotic place that won’t cost you a fortune to stay once you get there. The gimmick here is Charity Guide, a not-for-profit online organization that offers public service projects to those who want to make the most of their unused days this year, instead of just going to Disney World. Choose dates and time, and volunteer for such projects as creating a tree nursery in Equador, saving sea turtles in Thailand, or curtailing vanishing wetlands in Brazil.
In most instances you will receive room and board in exchange for you not only visiting a foreign country, but by helping them to help themselves. Check them out for even smaller contributions you can make by offering an iota of time that you might otherwise spend growling about the effects of global warming by building a solar oven or patronizing green hotels.