Helpx, WWOOF and programs like them?????

I have not done it but I know a place where they take in WOOFers (on Gabriola Island, BC) and it is perfectly legit and a good experience for both sides. One of the WOOFers ended up settling down there. It will depend on the individual owner what they offer, one issue is possibly being quite isolated, it can be hard to get around to see the area. This is also the case with some of the people I've met who work volunteering in hostels, etc. They have a lot of spare time and some spend it just sort of hanging around. I would get too bored.

They are legit if you consider they are not a vehicle for cheap labour.

I'm a HelpX host & have had over 10 people through now ... all but 2 have gone well, I'm still in touch with most of them and become good friends!

However, some of them say that my 'policies' are a lot less lenient than other hosts, I suppose it depends who you choose, but I would say you should read the host references carefully!

Kira

when I lived in Canda, BC, we were listed with woof, we had quite few visitors,
as for BC, it allows yo to get to real remote areas, if you are into nature, it is great

but technically, you are not allowed to work without a work permit, so you will not make much money if any,
back then it was supplying a few hours work in exchange for room and board

I know some who ended up with some paid work, but not many...

Here is another option to add to the places you already know about: WorkAway - work and volunteer in exchange for food and accommodation whilst traveling.

Ruth

Try www.workaway.info. It seems much easier to use than the other sites and is worldwide. I used it last year to go to Australia :)

Hi there,

My friend did wwoolfing in Mexico on her way to an internship in the states and loved it. She wrote a blog post about it here which might be interesting for you to read http://bigtriplittletrip.com.au/wwoofing-in-mexico/

I have used helpX in Europe and Skillstay (www.skillstay.com) in Oz.

First job was in the Czech Republic as I backpacked around there. I gotta say the work was boring and repetitive - farm work mainly with bales of hay - if I never see or smell hay again I will be truly happy - but the host was a great laugh, and had friends at the local brewery (every town in Czecho has a brewery!) who supplied him, and us, with barrels of beer. Unforgettable.

In Australia with Skillstay I painted a house for a few hours a day in Sydney (saved me a bucket of money on expensive accomodation) with a nice host. No beer though. I just got back from my second one at a Resort in Queensland. This one I did not want to leave, next to the beach, got to use all their equipment, Kayaks, etc, and really friendly hosts and other helpers. Became a jack of all trades, gardening, housekeeping, or cleaning up after breakfast, for 3 hours a day, which was straightforward.

My ideal exchange would be a combination of the beach one with the barrels of beer (the local beer xxx was a shocker!)

As a host in Canada (both on helpx and workaway), I believe the rules are the same as those that apply to wwoofers. On a tourist visa in Canada, you can volunteer in exchange for room and board up to 4 weeks at one place. After that, you can move on to another place for another four weeks, up to 6 months total. However, filling up your entire trip with back-to-back volunteer stints makes it `"the purpose of your trip" technically. That makes it a gray zone. Not sure I'd say more than I needed to at a border crossing in that respect.

In other countries where this is considered "illegal", what about the idea of paying a token fee to cover your room and board? You could also be more discerning as to what you volunteer for, as workaway and helpx have a much broader scope than wwoofing. Some hosts really are looking for cheap labour and exploit helpx and workaway to these ends.

Stop for a minute and look past the idyllic description and comments to consider what you are "helping" with. Does it give back, are you truly helping someone with a life goal, or is it simply about making or saving money for someone else?

Sure it would be great to stay in NYC while you babysit someone's kids a few nights, but is that really the intent behind these websites? I don't think so.

It's up to you, as a volunteer, to figure out what's best...and legal for you. Don't place yourself in a risky situation where a disgruntled neighbour or laid-off employee could jeopardize your entire trip.