Profile of a WWOOFer

Greetings, my name is Charlie Thompson and this is my blog, "Life Called". I created this post to share a little about myself with individuals and organizations seeking to host a WWOOF member.

About Me
I grew up in Tualatin, Oregon and attended Oregon State University for business administration and management information systems (MIS). During my last year of college, having already completed my business and MIS coursework and worked for a cumulative year in manufacturing, I decided to spend a half-year in Guatemala volunteering at an NGO and finishing my Spanish minor.

Returning to the United States near the beginning of the recession, I became an AmeriCorps volunteer to support myself and learn about microfinance. At the same time my interest began to grow in movements surrounding alternative food systems and international development. In July, 2009 I applied to the Peace Corps in hopes of pursuing the latter. While researching the former, I discovered WWOOF. Presently it appears that I will begin Peace Corps in January or February of 2011.

As a WWOOFer
I will be WWOOFing alone with no more baggage than I can carry on my back and in my hands. While I am not vegetarian or vegan, I welcome opportunities to have a diet free of meat specifically or animal products in general. I have had many group living situations, good and bad, and I am committed to promoting harmony and respecting shared living space and amenities. I am not shy when it comes to household chores.

I have a great amount of latitude in terms of lodging arrangements. I am happy to share a house or apartment with a host or occupy a separate building with a room to myself or to share a room. To give you an idea, I once spent a year in a cooperative house where we lived two-to-a-room and slept twelve-to-a-room. I am also willing and able to live in a tent if the climate permits.

I want to contribute whatever manual and technical labor I can. I have experience developing database-driven web applications and doing various tasks at nonprofit organizations including grant-writing and leading personal finance workshops. I have also worked as a dishwasher and a food-service worker, so I'm no stranger to blue-collar work. I want to gain practical, hands-on experience in various forms of food cultivation and generally become a more knowledgeable and conscientious consumer of food.

I am also interested in whatever construction, administrative, or related work you might have to offer. Also, I'm fluent in Spanish.