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

My experiences with migrants in Caritas

Hello everyone! It's Louise. Today, I'd like to share with you two actions in which I recently participated. They taught me a lot, both on a human level and in terms of the concrete challenges involved in welcoming and supporting migrants in Italy. Welcoming migrants on their arrival at the port Two weeks ago, I went with Marco D’Aurizio (President of Caritas Jesina) and other workers of Caritas Ancona to welcome a group of 276 migrants who had arrived on the Ocean's Viking (a boat that rescues migrants at sea) at Ancona’s port. We were there at 8am, under grey skies and a cold wind, ready to hand out breakfast: a bottle of water, an apple, a filled brioche, and tea for those who wanted it. The reception was very closely supervised by the police, which made the organisation very rigorous, but also a little tense. At first, we let people sit down, take time to eat and warm up. But soon, the police were pressing us to get the migrants onto the buses waiting nearby. So, we h...

Hello everyone! I'm the new volunteer

Hi! My name is Louise, I'm 26 years old, and I'm from France. Ever since I was a child, I wanted to go abroad to see what life is like elsewhere. Two years ago, in 2022, I graduated with a Master’s degree in Law, specialising in European Law. That’s how I first heard about the European Solidarity Corps (but only from an academic perspective, as we were studying several European programs). During my studies, I volunteered every summer with a French organisation that supports migrants in different aspects of their lives. The first Summer, I helped organise activities for children living in a refugee center. And the following years, I joined the legal advice service, where I assisted migrants with their administrative process to obtain or renew their residence permits. It was a truly rewarding experience that helped me grow personally. After graduation, I felt lost. I knew from my volunteering experience that I wanted a job that had a positive impact on society, but I wasn't ...

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...

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