Volunteer Vacations
More and more hotels are helping guests plug into charitable projects during their stays.
By Alexis Swerdloff
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the June 2009 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine 
Photo: Christian Horan
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What you'll find: Chic and cheery, the Good Hotel has a clear eco-conscience: Key cards are made from recycled cardboard, chandeliers are fashioned from recycled glass bottles, and most of the 117 rooms have ultragreen toilets. How you can volunteer: Just pick up the orange phone in the lobby to connect to the nonprofit One Brick, which matches visitors to short-term service gigs. You can roll up your sleeves for a few hours at the San Francisco Food Bank or join a day trip with wetlands conservation group Save the Bay, planting native seedlings along the shores of the Palo Alto Baylands. What you'll spend: $99 per night on weekdays; $109 on weekends ( jdvhotels.com/hotels/good ) |
