Derek Turner's motto is: Find a need, fill a need.

From Flagstaff, Arizona, Derek embarked on a life-changing journey of traveling the world on a college buddy's sailboat. That alone would be an epic adventure for most folks, but Derek took it a step further. He decided to combine his journey with humanitarian work that would benefit those in the places to which he traveled.

Having always loved to travel, Derek found that the more he did so, the more he was haunted by the whisper that pushed him to explore even more of the world. One day, standing hip deep in the corporate world of sales and marketing, he decided the time had come. With a new promotion and other promising job offers in front of him, Derek left his job and, at the tender age of 30 years, joined an old college friend on a 33’ sailboat adventure around the world - despite the fact that he had never sailed a day in his life.

And he had another idea too. In the days before they left, he and a friend designed a website to blog about their trip and raise money - all of which would go towards needs and projects they saw along the way. Through video, pictures and words, the two would raise awareness and hopefully money, and those giving could (literally) watch their dollars work on the website. This simple idea for grassroots humanitarian work actually worked. Money was raised and needs were met. Orphans were given clothing and supplies for school. Prisoners were given books to study and seeds to plant. They even raised enough money to buy one charming, less fortunate man a prosthetic leg and the doctor’s appointments to support it.

As Derek says, "For many of us there comes a point in life, when we take pause, look around and realize we have it pretty good. It’s that moment when you discover that no matter how many points the Dow has dropped, or how high gas prices have become, we still live like kings and queens compared to a lot of people in the world. Then comes the wave of guilt, compassion, inspiration - whatever it is that moves a person to say: 'I want to do something.'"

Derek encourages anyone with a similar idea to do it, but realizes that figuring out where to start is the hardest part. To that end, he wrote five great tips on finding volunteer opportunities:

1. Contact Before Contact: If you’ve never been to a place and would like to get involved, the best thing you can do is find someone who’s been there. Ask around. Try to find a contact who is already plugged in. If you don’t mind letting someone else call the shots, there are a number of volunteer companies that can organize your entire trip. On occasion they’ll at least provide a name or email. Personally, I started with Facebook. Asking friends or friends of friends for advice, usually (or eventually) I found someone in the country I was headed for. Not only can they help you find a project, they can help find the bus station.

2. Watch and Learn: The more you know about a culture, the more you’ll understand their true needs. If you can, learn about the culture before you visit. Read about their history, their current situation. This will also help you relate to people you may not have much in common with. But even if you enter a country, without a contact or prior information, you’ll learn a lot just by watching.

3. Ask Around: As simple as it is, nothing has paid off for me more than this. It doesn’t take long to spot a malnourished boy or a girl with no shoes, but some problems are hidden. I knew there were children with needs in the Dominican Republic, I didn’t realize children had to meet certain uniform requirements to go to school. I also would have never learned about “Viejito” (the man without a leg), had I not simply asked around a community for people with need. Even the “Tourist Information” may be able to point you in the right direction.

4. Be Flexible (in action and idea): Even if you know the project beforehand, you may be asked to do something that to you seems unimportant. Be prepared to be insignificant. Not all jobs are glamorous and often times you will be behind the scenes where neither you nor your work are obvious… And that’s ok.

5. Be Cautious: Remember that in most places, especially those with heavy need, you will be viewed as wealthy. Compared to them, you are. There is a chance when you start offering help, you will be bombarded with requests. Use discretion. I always try to respectfully verify with a second or third, unrelated source.

You just might change the world. You might find and fill some need so vital it affects an entire culture. Or you might just hammer a nail that holds a humble home for someone who’s less fortunate. You might just buy a guy a sandwich. I’m not saying you quit your job, and live on a boat, not all of us can do that. But everyone can do something.

For more info: In November 2007, Derek set out with his friend to sail around the world, while helping charities and communities along the way by raising funds on his blog, The World By Sea.