Problems

Cornerstone's website is very misleading, in that it appears as if there are several ongoing projects (women's empowerment, youth, HIV/AIDS, etc.), however, their only ongoing program is their feeding program which involves handing out a bowl of food to needy students. If a prospective volunteer designates interest in a particular project on their application, such as women's empowerment, they are not told beforehand that there is no such program in place and that they will have to structure it themselves with very little guidance. The website discusses and encourages independence and initiative in creating projects, however, it also mentions the fact that Belizean culture must be considered when creating programs, thus encourages seeking guidance. The problem is that many volunteers may not want to structure their own project and if they do, there is virtually no guidance. Additionally, the site encourages working in cooperation with other organizations on topics that may be of interest, yet has little to provide in the way of who is doing what; it's like Cornerstone functions in a vacuum.

Anything volunteers want to do they can---however, for the most part, they will be doing it on their own---in a different culture, creating programs, curricula, doing presentations, etc. that they may not be well-equipped to do, given cultural considerations, etc. However, no one at C.S. will care whether they're well-equipped or effective---quality and effectiveness just isn't their area of interest. Volunteers, too, can just sit at C.S. doing nothing, and no one will know or care.

There is no accountability at C.S. for the quality of the volunteer's experience. They will take anyone, despite not having the program the volunteer expressed interest in, without making any effort to explain this beforehand. If a volunteer is dissatisfied once they get to C.S., which is often the case, and wants to leave early, C.S. refuses to refund the remainder of the money paid.

At Cornerstone, an organization in place since 1999, the volunteers are constantly reinventing the wheel given the fact that nothing's in place, prior documentation has been lost on the computer and on and on. There's very little work done in cooperation with other agencies, so there may be duplication of efforts, etc.---but, oh well.

Good management is non-existent and you have to question how C.S. continues to survive and receive funding beyond volunteer tuition. There must be a total lack of any type of evaluation methods in place. Having talked with prior volunteers, the same problems occur year after year. Seems that no matter how much feedback, input, criticism, guidance C.S. may get, nothing ever changes.

Aside from the very non-caring attitude toward the volunteer experience, one can't lose sight of how the Belizeans, the supposed beneficiaries of Cornerstone's funding and volunteer labor, have long been forgotten. Volunteers feel ripped off and supposed program recipients probably would too if they had more information. There does, however, seem to be some awareness in the community about C.S. and what they are and are not doing.