Volunteers on Wheels

For Immediate Release--

Volunteers on Wheels

Dunseith, ND (March 10, 2001)-- When travel writer, Hope Sykes, thought about volunteers, RVers immediately came to mind. "Mobile volunteers offer a decided advantage," says Sykes who has explored over 200,000 miles by RV, "their RVs allow them to go where help is needed most without the worry of locating housing in already stressed environments."

To Sykes, the United Nationís International Year of Volunteers 2001 seemed like the perfect time to inform more RV enthusiasts (about 30 million of them according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) about the idea of mobile community service. To the some one million full-time RVers who pull up roots and make America their backyard, she felt a virtual resource center, The RVing Volunteer, was the key to connecting these mobile travelers with volunteering opportunities.

"Since many RVers already travel with a computer, volunteer efforts could be almost unlimited," Sykes says.

In preparing for upcoming national volunteer events, four travel writers will be sharing their experiences and expertise with RVers and nonRVers alike. The writing group's own volunteer project, Volunteers on Wheels, stresses "Making a Difference in Communities Across the Nation."

Getting together to coordinate the events, however, hasn't been easy since 2000 miles often separated the writers. To remedy the situation, Sykes then decided to turn to the Internet to create a virtual volunteer experience in order to mobilize the group.

"Virtual volunteering via the Internet just made sense," Sykes said. "We could work together at any time from just about any place so the opportunity just seemed natural."

Participating in the events will be:

Stephanie Bernhagen
Stephanie and her husband, Paul, hit the road in January of 1994 when she was 36 and he was 38. Paul and Stephanie volunteer for Habitat for Humanity across the nation.

Jaimie Hall
Jaimie and her husband, Bill, started traveling full-time in 1993 and work on the road. Jaimie is the author of a book covering RVers and working on the road. This event will be her first volunteering experience.

Hope Sykes
She is the founder of the RVing Volunteer. She is also writer and columnist on topics of interest to disabled RVers and volunteers. In her spare time she offers publicity assistance to the Handicapped Travel Club, a nonprofit organization that encourages the RVing lifestyle among travelers with special needs.

Shelley Zoellick
Shelley is editor and publisher of a newsletter for RVing families who travel full-time and homeschool their children while on the road. Shelley joins Jaimie in having her first volunteer experience.

Volunteer ideas, activities, and resources can be found at the writersí web sites throughout the year.

For information, please visit:

Stephanie Bernhagen and Jaimie Hall
--RV Hometown http://www.rvhometown.com

Hope Sykes
--The RVing Volunteer http://maxpages.com/rvingvolunteer
--The Enabled RVer http://maxpages.com/enabledrver

Shelley Zoellick
--Families On The Road http://www.familiesontheroad.com
http://members.aol.com/rovinusa/page30.html

For further information contact via e-mail:

Stephanie Bernhagen: stephanie@escapees.com
Hope Sykes: rvingvolunteer@hotmail.com
Jaimie Hall: calamityjaimie@escapees.com
Shelley Zoellick: RovinUSA@aol.com

Press Release Attachment:

Volunteer Schedule of Activities and Resources

Volunteer Schedule of Activities and Resources

National Volunteer Week (April 22-28)
During this time period, the group will cover activities and events relating to National Volunteer Week, National Youth Service Day (April 20-21), and Nickelodeonís The Big Help.

Make a Difference Day (October 27)
This is the nationís largest day of volunteering. USA Weekend and the Points of Light Foundation sponsor the event.

National Family Volunteering Day (November 17)

International Volunteer Day (December 5)

Volunteers on Wheels Resources
The writers will be providing information at the following sites:

The RVing Volunteer (Hope Sykes)
http://maxpages.com/rvingvolunteer
Hopeís site includes material on all activities. Regular departments at the web site include themes like ìLoving What They Doî and ìMaking A Differenceî where outstanding individuals and groups are profiled. The heart of the site features ìThe Learning Resource Centerî where volunteers learn of skills and activities (plus a little inspiration) to maximize their volunteering efforts in maneuverable settings.

The Enabled RVer (Hope Sykes)
http://maxpages.com/enabledrver
Hopeís second web site will include volunteer resources for the disabled RVer.

RV Hometown (Stephanie Bernhagen and Jaimie Hall)
http://www.rvhometown.com
Stephanie and Jaimie will be including stories and information about Habitat for Humanity Internationalís Care-A-Vanner programs, RVing and volunteering, and upcoming Escapees events.

Families on the Road (Shelley Zoellick)
http://www.familiesontheroad.com
http://members.aol.com/rovinusa/page30.html
Shelleyís site will be a hub for families and kids who want to volunteer. Sheíll be an active participant in all events with a special emphasis on National Youth Service Day and Nickelodeonís The Big Help.

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