"GiveYourGap" College Grads Wrap Up Four-Month Volunteer Projects In Asia

SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Four recent University of California-San Diego graduates have just finished four months of volunteering their time at non-profit groups throughout Asia, traveling on behalf of their start-up organization, GiveYourGap.org.

The group of four women volunteered their time and energy to 12 social and medical projects in the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal and China, posting updates of their experiences on the GiveYourGap.org website.

The women started the GiveYourGap organization and website as a resource for fellow recent college grads looking to perform volunteer work around the world during their "gap year" after college and before graduate school or fulltime employment.

"We wanted to do something meaningful with this time," said group co-founder, Kimberly Ang. "Unfortunately we graduated into a really rough economy. But we saw great opportunities to volunteer and use that 'gap year' time to give back to society while gaining skills and a broader understanding of the world."

Ang added, "This trip and the local people we worked with have inspired us more than we could have imagined. We had the chance to work with people who are passionate about their work and purpose."

The team volunteered at a broad range of non-profits including medical, environmental and civil rights groups, centers for children with disabilities, and public diplomacy organizations. The team concluded its work earlier this month at Magic Hospital in Beijing, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for seriously ill children.

While Ang and her three team members traveled and volunteered overseas, the GiveYourGap staff and interns in the U.S. worked to expand the GiveYourGap.org website by gathering individual stories of gap year experiences and reaching out to local U.S. and international communities. The website also tracked the progress of the GiveYourGap team, posting their experiences in print and video.

"We believe that our GiveYouGap team had a real impact on the organizations they served, and also provided a great example to other "gappers" who want to travel, give back, learn and grow," said Joeva Rock, the group's San Francisco-based marketing and outreach director, who is also a recent UC-San Diego graduate.  "Gappers, we believe in you and are determined to find ways to help you make an impact too!"

She added: "The response to our GiveYourGap.org site has been incredibly positive, and is designed to make it easier for people to find the right opportunity for them to volunteer during their gap year."

EDITORS NOTE: Kimberly Ang, her three travel team colleagues and Joeva Rock are available for print, radio and video interviews at the contacts below. Also, please check out the GiveYourGap.org website.  

CONTACT:
Joeva Rock
GiveYourGap
+1-415-722-0905

Bill Blanning
Blanning Communications Group
+1-714-916-4309

E-mail: [email protected]
Website: GiveYourGap.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/giveyourgap
Twitter: www.twitter.com/giveyourgap

SOURCE GiveYourGap.org