Volunteering with WWOOF, Workaway, or HelpX

Chapter 1 of 6

Most working holiday makers only consider temporary or part time jobs to support themselves during their working holiday. But there is an alternative to employment that may offer the best of both worlds: volunteering! This guide will explain how you can do volunteer work in exchange for free room and board.

Volunteering through WWOOF, HelpX and Workaway

Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) was the pioneer network of volunteer opportunities. It became synonymous with volunteering; participants have been “WWOOFING” for years now.

Several other platforms followed suit and started offering volunteer opportunities in other environments, such as ranches, hostels, farms, and more. The two main networks are HelpExchange (HelpX) and Workaway.

How do those platforms work?

These platforms connect travellers to hosts looking for volunteers. Each platform has different rules to post offers—WWOOF focuses on organic farms, but on HelpX, you can volunteer for organizations or individuals. Opportunities might include gardening, babysitting, housekeeping, light construction, maintenance, etc. 

You won’t get paid for your work but room and board is provided by your host. So basically, you won’t have any income, nor any expenses.

Some WHVers take up a volunteer opportunity between two paid jobs or during a road trip. For others, it’s central to working holiday and they jump from one host to another. You might be wondering if it’s right for you. Keep reading to find out!