volunteer organizations in Dharamsala

I am planning to be in India (Dharmasala) in Oct. Nov. of 2012, and want to volunteer in both the Indian and Tibetian communities. I have found two organizations to volunteer with, they sound great but would like independent verification.

The organization in the Indian community has two websites:
volunteersindia.org and volunteeringindia.org

The Tibetian organization is lhasocialwork.org

If anyone has had experience with either organization, I would appreciate hearing how your experience was and if you would recommend. thanks, Deirdra

I am familiar with LHA. They have been around for a decade or more and have an excellent reputation.
I am not familiar with the other organization, but that doesn't mean that they are not good. (They obviously operate in Lower Dharamsala or the Kangra valley. I lived up in McLeod Ganj.) From their website, it appears that you only spend a couple of hours a day volunteering and the rest of the time is taken up with activities. This is good if you don't have more than a few weeks to volunteer and I like the home stay aspect. If you are planning to go for a long stay, you may want to consider setting up your volunteer work after you arrive and living on your own. McLeod Ganj has many furnished guest houses that rent by the month.
I know that LHA offers a service whereby for a fee, they pick you up at the airport in Delhi and arrange everything until you arrive in McLeod Ganj. I think this is a valuable service for those with limited time or who are nervous about going for the first time.
Let me know how long you are going for and I may be able to offer more specific advice. There is a great organization called Tong-Len which works in the slum in Lower Dharamsala. They usually require a minimum two week commitment and you are on your own in terms of accommodation etc. An excellent option if you have the time.
October is a wonderful time to go as the weather is great and there aren't huge crowds of tourists.

Deirdra : Just one suggestion -- If you have any query for Dharamshala / Himachal Pradesh, seek Cardinal Divide's advice. No need to look anywhere else.
[ Of course you can search IM ]

Hello Cardinal Divide,
It seems you are the authority, I appreciate your input. I am using lha pick up and orientation service and will be volunteering with them for a month, they have been wonderful with
help by email. I have another 2 weeks after my month with them and was hoping to find a placement with an Indian organization Thank you for the suggestion of Tong Len, I will look into that. Or, I may decide to just use the two weeks for travel. Thanks again for responding, D

I only know the Dharamsala area and my knowledge is not all encompassing. There are some Indian charities that work in the Kangra Valley, below Dharamsala, but I don't know enough about most of them to make suggestions. If you are good with animals, there is one called Dharamsala Animal Rescue that does impressive and important work. Some might say, "Who cares about street dogs?" but even if you are not a fan of dogs, their health is important as they spread parasites and diseases. Spaying and neutering reduces pack sizes and bites. They also do procedures for free on pets of the poor. Dharamsala Animal Rescue has made a tremendous impact. http://dharamsalaanimalrescue.org/Site/Home.html
If you are into bringing donations, I know that Tong-Len's health team can really use non-stick burn dressings in large sizes. (Check that the expiry date is far off.)Every winter they treat kids with terrible burns as a result of burning plastic to keep warm. http://www.tong-len.org/

Hello again Cardinal Divide, thank you for responding, I do appreicate
your taking the time, however, I have decided that I really should look around since I've never been to India before and there is so much
to see. So, instead of volunteering the first two weeks in Nov. I plan to see
some of the sights, ride a train, etc. I am all set to work with the Tibetan
refugees for the month of Oct. though and I appreciate your input on that.
after my trip I will post here to let people know what working with Lha was like for me. Rabsel and Kate, volunteer coordinators have a great help with setting up arrival help.

I'm interested in volunteering around Dharamsala, maybe I'll check these out

Just landed in india 2 days ago!

Hey Deirdra,
I am also planning to be in McLeod in Oct/ Nov. of 2012- do you by any change have a good tip where to stay?
Cardinal Divide- did you as the Dharamshala Expert ever hear about the Misty Woods Hotel?

I don't know Misty Woods but it looks very familiar and it looks nice. (I'm not in McLeod now otherwise, I'd walk down Jogibara Road and check it out.) Contact them and ask exactly where it is located. You should start a new thread asking about McLeod Ganj accommodation be sure to mention your budget or at least what sort of place you want to stay in.