Celebrating a New Adventure
It’s not everyday that we hear a story of a 20-year-old fresh graduate celebrating her birthday with a group of kids from an NGO, together with her friends and other volunteers. Raissa happily shared how she had a very eventful birthday when she spent it with the children from Mano Amiga Academy, complete with belly dancing and a whole lot of fun activities.
Even before organizing a party for the girls of Mano Amiga, Raissa has been actively volunteering in her university’s Pastoral Office, and has also been attending volunteer work during weekends through iVolunteer. And apart from joining different immersion activities, she would make sure she follows through with the project she was involved in. For Raissa, volunteering should be relevant and impactful, which then requires her to proactively monitor the progress of the activities she has attended. She has also volunteered for the Citizens’ Disaster Response Center (CDRC), where she helped with the silk screen printing of eco-bags for relief goods. And since then, she has become an active volunteer in CDRC.
On Sharing Herself and Learning Through Others
Raissa has been involved with volunteer work since she was in high school. Apart from the chance to share herself to others, she considers being part of a greater cause very fulfilling. “Through my time, effort and talent, I am able to affect someone and at the same time, I am able to learn from each person I share my time with,” Raissa shared. Similar to the other volunteers’ experience, the unique realizations that come with participating in each activity with different NGOs greatly inspires Raissa, as she learns more about what she can do to help in her own capacity. She values the opportunity of constantly learning more of how she, her peers, family and community may significantly share their own time and talent to other NGO sectors in implementing their projects through participating in iVolunteer programs.
To Inspire and Be Inspired
When asked who and what inspires her, she shared that the different NGOs are a source of motivation, together with the other volunteers she encounters. “Their stories and experiences keep me going. I love how these people share their time and effort, without expecting anything in return,” she mentioned. For Raissa, volunteering for different activities and groups is very exciting – every project is unique, offering new discoveries, learning, and experiences. And as she encounters other like-minded youth who find enjoyment and accomplishment as an active volunteer, she can’t help but look forward to every volunteering opportunity she signs up for. Each activity becomes a new source of inspiration for Raissa.
A Lifelong Journey
As early as now, Raissa has already planned to continue to write her volunteer story, and even incorporate volunteerism in her career path. For her, actively involving herself in different social and national causes is an essential part of developing her abilities. She finds joy and accomplishment even in the littlest of actions, as she knows every act of service is a seed that can grow inside another person, and also transform and positively impact them. With the genuine willingness to offer a piece of oneself to another who is in need of help, any form of volunteer work can be the first major step into bigger, more sustainable projects.
Raissa hopes that more and more people will also experience the joy and incomparable fulfillment of volunteering. She could not wait to go on new adventures, meet other volunteers, discover more about herself, the different NGOs, and the many opportunities of creating a significant mark in the life of other persons.
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