Choosing La Giraudière

In the depths of a brutal winter, volunteering in France may be the furthest thing from your mind.

The rustic charms of La Giraudiere are a big draw.

However, the appeal of a holiday in Europe can’t be overestimated. Images of the mild temperatures of the south of France or perhaps the warm waters of The Mediterranean swirl through your head. Along with the bite of permafrost, financial realities sink in and you feel an adventure abroad is out of reach. Cast that notion aside. A trip to France need not break your bank account.

If you are willing to trade some of your skills and knowledge for room and board, the volunteer opportunities of La Guardiere may be just for you. Therein lies the rub, you think. Perhaps you feel you don’t have any particular talents that would be useful. That is the beauty of La Guardiere. There are so many interesting facets to be found here that it is a sure bet that program director Paul will be able to match whatever your skills and interests are to a useful chore. Rehabbing the main part of the house is a long term project requiring building, constructing, painting and drywallers (among other things.) Notice I used the “ing” form of the word, With a little direction anyone can be a builder or a painter. If that still feels out of your realm, housekeeping and cooking may be more to your liking. There are also plenty of opportunities in the garden: planting, seeding, clearing brush, or pruning. Clerical and computer skills also come in handy when it comes to assuring the smooth operation of La Guardiere. Someone has to write these blogs after all but, of course, it takes talent to do that well! Traveling across the world to a strange place may also feel a bit daunting. There’s no way to convince you that this need not be the case other than to invite you to pore over La Giraudiere’s website and look at all the friendly faces enjoying the camaraderie of fellow volunteers. Besides working, dining and playing alongside folks from all over the world, there are plenty of opportunities to mix with local people from nearby villages. Whether you are joining in the weekly petanque game in Brossac, teaming with villagers and volunteers alike or helping set up tables for a nearby fête, It will give you that chance to brush up on your French skills. There it is, perhaps the most unsettling aspect of all, the language barrier. You can put any worries about that away as well. Volunteers come from mainly English speaking countries with a wide range of abilities to speak French. There are volunteers with no French background to the fluent and everything in between. Weekly French lessons are provided and geared to whatever level the volunteer is at. No matter what your skill level, it’s practically impossible not to improve your ability to speak and understand French. So what are you waiting for? Take the first step to your French adventure by filling out an application to volunteer at La Giraudière.