Holly Penalver of Indigo Volunteers: Hearing the Call to Serve Others, Creating a Better Way to Volunteer Abroad

Holly is the founder of Indigo Volunteers, an organization that pairs people who wish to help with humanitarian projects needing assistance. 

Since the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016, Indigo has placed thousands of volunteers in camps across Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Poland, and more. 

Holly says she didn’t know anything about how to launch or run a nonprofit at first. She just saw a need, and then she found a way to help. She’s dedicated more than the past 10 years of her life to it. And she’s had some incredible adventures along the way. She’ll share them in this episode.

We discuss: 

• Her firsthand experience learning how difficult - and expensive – volunteering can be. 
• How helping refugees has changed since COVID and the war in Ukraine. 
• What people don’t understand about refugees.
• What it’s really like inside of a refugee camp.  
• Why so many charities today are struggling to find volunteers.  
• How she’s seen the best in people through her work – and the lasting impression that’s left on her. 

Follow Holly and Indigo Volunteers on Instagram at @indigovolunteers