The rewards of being a volunteer

Have you ever heard the saying “there is no completely selfless act”? I sometimes wonder about this statement and I can never work out if I think it’s true.

What I do know is that volunteering with Care4Calais and helping people less fortunate than myself has been so rewarding.

Whenever I tell people that I volunteer with Care4Calais, the usual reaction is praise – “well done”, or “wow what a lovely thing to do”, something along those lines. But I’m quick to correct them. The truth is, it’s rewarding for me.

The people we help have been through and seen some of the worst things on this planet, but just by being kind, caring and showing up for them, my fellow volunteers and I can put a smile on their faces. This means the world to me and I’m sure the little things we do mean the world to them.

So I don’t know if there are any completely selfless acts – but I do know that volunteering for Care4Calais gives as much to me as it does to the wonderful people we help.

So as a new volunteer at Care4Calais, what kinds of things did I get involved in? Well, straight away I was given training. After that, I joined a friendly and welcoming team and got to know some of the other volunteers – the team have been extremely supportive and always happy to answer my questions.

I’ve helped in a free shop set up for the asylum seekers where they come to get clothes or shoes, and to have a chat and a coffee. I’ve been to a games afternoon run by a local church for asylum seekers. I’ve given out dates and provided an iftar meal for the asylum seekers who are observing Ramadan. I’ve collected children’s clothes and toys, and helped provide Easter eggs, to asylum-seeker children.

As a new volunteer, there is plenty to do and get involved in. But the best bit of all, the bit I enjoy the most is having the privilege of talking to and getting to know people from all over the world – learning about their cultures and seeing the smiles on their faces as they remember and tell me about where they grew up.

So if you want to join Care4Calais and help us show asylum seekers our culture and that we are a friendly and welcoming community (despite the rhetoric of the current government), please get in touch today: care4calais.org/get-involved/

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