First Impressions: Empowerment Through Service

Empowerment Through Service

Who are we?

My name is Karolina and I am Polish. I am 26 years old and I have completed my Master's degree in Food Technology. I decided that the current time is best to use it for self-fulfillment and helping others.

My name is Maria and I am from Portugal. I am 22 years old and I have a bachelors degree in Cultural and Artistic. I decided to take one year break before going back to my studies and start my masters.

What does it mean to be volunteer for us and how is it going so far?

Volunteering is more than just lending a helping hand; it’s an act of empowerment. It’s about giving individuals the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others, to be a force for positive change in the community. Whether it’s preparing meals for the ones in need, serving at in kitchen, or organizing the clothing collections, volunteering encourages people to be a force of compassion and kindness.

In the kitchen we process food. Moreover, we help in preparing meals, serving them and washing dishes. We work with other volunteers of different ages. For us, it is an opportunity to practice conversation in Italian and get to know the local community. For us it's about cultivating connections and nurturing communities.

Volunteering at a clothes magazine isn’t just about fashion; it’s about coming together for creativity, and a community to create a positive change. At a clothes magazine, fashion isn’t just about trends and style—it’s a platform for storytelling, self-expression, and social impact. It’s about using the inspire change.

In the clothes warehouse, we select clothes and deliver them to the store, where those who need them can posses them. In the store, we help beneficiaries choose the right size and clothes for the right season. As a volunteer, we have the opportunity to break down barriers and building bridges across communities.

Comments

Volunteer Oct24. organizing the new house for volunteers!

Ciao, Hola and Hi! I’m Rio Rojas Mayorga, and I’ve been helping set up the new apartment for volunteers. Let me tell you about the process of organizing this future home for us! In case you didn’t know, ESC volunteers previously lived in an apartment within the Caritas enclosure. However, for various reasons, it was decided to move us to a new place in the city center. The person in charge of preparing this apartment was Fabiano, a 65-year-old volunteer. Since he had multiple apartments and projects to manage, progress on this specific one was quite slow. So, to give him a hand, I offered my time and enthusiasm to compensate for my lack of any real knowledge of construction or renovation! The house had almost everything we needed, but the problem was that it was all disassembled. It took a couple of months of assembling furniture, deep cleaning every piece, and rearranging the house fittings over and over. For most of the process, the end felt so far away. We started first w...

Volunteer Oct24. 3 months so far!

Ciao, Hola and Hi! I’m Río Rojas Mayorga and it's been 3 months since I'm an ESC volunteer here in Caritas Jesina. Let me update you briefly about my experience! The arrival and first week in Caritas was a mix of emotions between the excitement to start and the confusion of all the new people and information we were bombarded with. At first we didn't have a schedule and it was a little bit messy but, I'm glad I shared so much time with my project partner; it was nice having someone in the same situation. First month Once the schedule was set, we had to adjust not only to the work but also to the people we shared the time with. As all the services are done with local people, at first it was difficult the communication as I had no words in Italian, but I was gladly surprised to find out my will of talking and sharing was lovely appreciated and corresponded, I found out the language barrier was a challenge but i wasn’t fighting it alone. My birthday arrived eventually an...

Volunteer Oct24, Río's first blog. Life before Jesi

Ciao, Hola and Hi! I’m Río Rojas Mayorga, one of the two volunteers here at Caritas Jesi in October 2024. I’m from Madrid, Spain, and in this first blog, I will share my life before volunteering and how I discovered the ESC. The next one should be about my life here. I would like to start by providing some context about how I got to know the ESC by talking about my life in Majadahonda, Madrid. After the quarantine, my family and I moved from Aluche (in south-central Madrid) to Majadahonda (on the western outskirts) due to financial struggles, which was a significant change for us. The first year felt lonely for my sister and me. During that time, I began studying in the afternoons at the youth centre near my home, where I searched about local volunteering opportunities and eventually discovered international volunteering. However, I was still under 18 and thought I had to prioritise my formal studies. Then, in November 2022, I met someone who transformed my life; it all began with a si...

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