Volunteers selflessly benefit the lives of others. The people, who volunteer, make the world a better place. Volunteer Recognition Day acknowledges the beauty of this phenomenon. Every day there is a place for help. You can help other people, animals, and nature. 

We are proud to share stories of Homeland Language Services’ employees who volunteer and try to make this world better. 

“From February 24th lots of people in my country, Ukraine, became volunteers. So did I. I helped our army and volunteering organizations with money from the start of the war, which was initiated by Russia. I don’t count how I helped my family in occupied Chernihiv, because it is my family. I had to help them with evacuation, electric generator, money, and medications. Moreover, in the city where I live, Dnipro, I help the shelter for refugees with clothes. During the war, I made lots of free translations of documents. Just because I can. 

Each Ukrainian person, who has enough power and mental strength to do something in such a situation, tries to help with useful information, money, clothes, food, and drugs. During the war, we see an unbelievable amount of volunteers and volunteering organizations. Lots of them are working under the fire, a lot of them were killed and injured… Nowadays, volunteers are the second heroes after militaries,” – Kseniya Tarasova, Homeland Language Services. 

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“I volunteered with Amnesty International in Bangkok. I set up a program for refugee children to get scholarships at international schools in Thailand. Children from Myanmar, Eritrea, Congo and other countries where they came from as refugees could study at schools completely free because of the project that we started,” – Kirill Konin, Homeland Language Services. 

“I am a volunteer translator for a Foundation in my home country Venezuela called Fundacion Madre Maria Luisa Casar. It is a school for 400 children located in a high-risk area of Caracas called Petare. They provide education, nutrition, and health services for the children and their families, as well as to the community where they are located. As a volunteer, I am in charge of translating their monthly newsletters for the Global Giving fundraising platform, as this is their main source of funding. This project is very dear to me and it is a blessing to be able to contribute,” – Gabriela Salas, Homeland Language Services. 

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“I had a kind of volunteering experience in Africa. I was there for around 10 days in 2020 (January). I saw how kids living in really poor areas are involved in education with unsuccessful methodologies, unfortunately, and the lack of organization, which is hugely afflicting locals. 

I was with my Kenyan friend, Betty, and on that particular occasion, she could explain to me a bit more about the habits of the community as well as the diseases that kids or adults are subjected to seasonally. We tried to run our own NGO that was aimed to build a school in the area of Kilifi, but then, the virus came and we had to stop running it. 

We are planning, however, to start it again soon! :)” – Sara Mazzuoli, Homeland Language Services. 

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“I’m so glad to hear there are so many of us (volunteers) and the number keeps on growing.  

I’ve been a volunteer for over a decade in a local NGO helping people after mental crises and those diagnosed with severe mental illnesses. It’s worth mentioning that the city I live in, Szczecin, is one of the biggest cities in Poland. Yet my organization is just a drop in the ocean of needs. However, thanks to volunteers and municipal support we celebrated the 17th anniversary this year and ain’t gonna stop.

I teach English in this NGO and give overall language support. Now and then I also act as a tour guide or a cleaning lady. My point is that there is always something to be done and everyone has skills to share, ever the slightest support matters. So it’s worth sharing your time, even an hour weekly to help. 

There is great power if people act together and every little help counts. Plus those who are being helped are mostly great teachers we learn from the big time,” – Małgorzata Gajda, Homeland Language Services.