Stories from Global Volunteer Day 2022

Global Volunteer Day 2022 was celebrated on 14 May across cities, countries, and continents with a variety of projects.

To learn more about the special experiences from this day, we caught up with Peter from Nairobi, Michelle from South Jersey, and Peter from Paris.

We heard about a visit to a rescue centre in Nairobi, a personalized Serve the City slogan in South Jersey, solidarity in action in Paris, and much, much more!

Read their stories, learn about their values in action and view their pictures of this special day down below –

 

1. What project did you participate in for Global Volunteer Day 2022?

Peter – Nairobi, Kenya

We visited a rescue centre and home for abandoned children.

Michelle – South Jersey, USA

STC South Jersey had a couple of projects to participate in for GVD this year. We had volunteers, braving the rainy day, helping build a garden in the memory of a very beloved community member who had longed to bring more sustainable gardens to our area. At a second location, volunteers rotated between helping with a food pantry – serving local families facing food and economic insecurity, and helping with the first stages of building a community center – building shelves, organizing donations, cleaning and organizing space. The center will serve local individuals and families as well as resettling refugees/displaced peoples.

Peter – Paris, France

We did a food distribution on Saturday. We had probably 200 sandwiches and salads lots of coffee lots of tea. And we had about 30 volunteers show up. Normally we will do about six different routes in Central Paris and that would feed about 200 people a nice little breakfast.

 

2. What word would you use to describe the day and why?

Peter – Nairobi, Kenya

Refreshing!

Michelle – South Jersey, USA

Honestly, we have a mantra within our core team, three words though. They help keep us focused and engaged, and I think GVD’22 captured them: “Simple But Awesome.” Many times it is that which seems like a simple act that sets in motion great ones. Packing a bag of food?  Simple…yet it feeds a family for a week. That’s transformational!

 

3. If you had to tie your project to just one of our values in action, what would it be?

Peter – Nairobi, Kenya

Compassion in Action

Michelle – South Jersey, USA

Love in Action. The act of giving time and effort on a day when most would rather stay inside and escape the elements, would rather enjoy a day off than get dirty in a warehouse or garden, putting time in toward a project of which its completion may not even be realized in one day, but to jump in anyway…that is LOVE.

Peter – Paris, France

Humility in Action. Solidarity in Action. For me, I know that according to the value of the Serve the City, it is humility. But I’d rather choose the word right now and solidarity. I think what the world really needs to see, what the poor need to see, what the vulnerable need to see, what those who have huge needs need to see is solidarity. Truth is we all have huge needs and our needs are just different. It takes humility to admit that we have a need and it takes love to step in to meet the needs  of people that are so different than we are. And that is solidarity.

 

4. This is our fifth global volunteer day! Have you participated in a GVD before? If so, could you tell us what it is that makes the day so special?

Peter – Nairobi, Kenya

Yes. Reaching out to others and making a difference in their lives. Also knowing others around the world are of the same mind on that to particular day.

Michelle – South Jersey, USA

This was South Jersey’s 4th GVD. GVD is special because it transcends one single effort. Volunteers can feel that they are connected with others around the world on this day, all in a shared aspiration to cross lines, to show kindness, to build something as, yes, a single community, but also as a global community.

Peter – Paris, France

Volunteers are truly a gift to the world. They change the way that people see things and the way people see other people. A gift is valuable and what volunteers bring is so essential to changing our world. And I’m glad the world recognizes that we need a global volunteer day to say thank you for volunteers. And maybe we are just a small group of volunteers, but don’t you think that small and dedicated is powerful? I do! Indeed this is what makes a difference in our world. Like a little stone thrown on the waters rippling out…. Across the waters! I remember meeting a Korean man who had no shoes and a robe in the middle of winter and inviting him to my house to shower and get some new shoes and some clothes and he told me a bit of a story. I was able to send  home with some kimchi and that was probably the happiest moment of my week. And we did pray together. Before he left we exchanged emails. I wondered if I would ever hear from them again. But then about a month later he sent me an email thanking me for the love showing and that he would never forget it. And that moment I knew that a little stones thrown on the waters could ripple out far and wide and this stone of goodness rippled out from France to Korea. I love global volunteer day and would it be cool if all citizens of our world would volunteer on global volunteer day together!

 

5. Pictures of the day!

Peter – Nairobi, Kenya

Michelle – South Jersey, USA

Peter – Paris, France

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