Working the Homeless World Cup
Destination: Melbourne, Australia
What football fan could pass up a chance to volunteer at one of the world's most unique international sporting events in one of the world's most unique cities?
Soccer, futbol, footie, whatever you like to call it, is the most popular team sport in the world, and the world's biggest sporting event is the World Cup. In cosmopolitan
Melbourne, where they take their footie
very seriously, there's an alternative tournament no less important, and you can help make it happen. The Homeless World Cup shatters stereotypes as more than 500 soccer players from 56 nations compete -- and each is homeless. Some 25,000 homeless competitors play in their home countries in the qualifying games before the top teams are chosen for the Homeless World Cup. In 2008, a Women's World Cup was added, and there is now also a cultural festival to highlight the plight of the homeless and outdoor screenings in Federation Square of films made by and about the homeless.
The festival and tournaments depend on volunteers like you each year. More than 400 matches will be played during the week, and you'll opt for the ways to pitch in that best suit you: coordinating transportation, registration and information booths; acting as a referee or scorer, or even medical or media services. You will work full 8-hour days in the Australian summer (winter in North America), but Melbourne's temperate beach weather keeps you cool during the days and the coastal neighborhoods, like
St. Kilda, have some excellent cultural and dining options for your evenings and free time.
Your Next Step: Homeless World Cup (tel.
131/561-1796;
www.homelessworldcup.org). On-site volunteers during the 1-week tournament receive a meal during daily eight-hour shifts, but beyond that you'll arrange your own accommodations and meals.
Hands Up Holidays (tel.
201/984-5372;
www.handsupholidays.com). A 17-day trip, $3,200, includes accommodations, meals, and a post-tournament trip to Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef.
Don't Miss: Take a breathtakingly scenic drive north on the
Great Ocean Road to see the famous Twelve Apostles, the Otways rainforest, and Bells Beach.
Official Tourism Website: www.greatoceanrd.org.au
