How Do I Experience Volunteering?
Volunteering has something very special because it comes from a place of desire, without expecting anything in return. It’s a genuine act of giving, which often ends up giving you back more than you offer. It’s about offering your time, your mind, your attentive listening, and emotional commitment. It’s not always about doing intense physical work, but about truly being present—with willingness and empathy—accompanying each family’s transformation process. It’s a concrete way of saying: I care about what happens to others.
It has a very strong emotional component. It’s about being there because you believe in the cause and in the power of the collective, and it touches you in a very direct way.
Personally, I experienced it as a deeply transformative journey . I’ve been a volunteer in the Programs area for over a year, and even on my first day I felt I was part of something much bigger than myself, and that my contribution, no matter how small, could have a real impact on a family’s life. It was a turning point. It connected me with a different way of committing to others and to my surroundings. It also pushed me out of my routine and made me question certain things—from my priorities to how I can use my professional training in service of a social cause.
I learned to value the collective much more, and the importance of simplicity. I gained a much more empathetic perspective, and I understood that a decent home not only changes physical structures, but transforms lives emotionally, socially, and in everyday life.
I witnessed the change that happens in a family and in the individuals living in that home. It’s not something that’s often talked about, but it truly changes their self-esteem—they become more joyful, more confident. You can see it even in how they carry themselves outside the home. Seeing the before and after in a person seems even more valuable to me than the change in the home itself.
In one of the first cycles I participated in, a shy and reserved young woman joined . When we learned about her case, we didn’t think the project could help her. She shared a room with her partner and their four-year-old daughter; she had no bathroom, no water; barely a bit of artificial light, and to make things worse, water would come in every time it rained. It didn’t seem like the project was for her, but we stood firm—we were going to move forward with what we could, we were going to fight for her home just as she was doing. Today, she has a bathroom, access to water and electricity. But much more than that was achieved—she’s no longer that shy and reserved girl. Today, she has confidence in her home and in herself: she shines.
Because a home is much more than a roof. It’s the space where a family builds its story, where they feel safe, where they grow. From simple things like having a mirror in the bathroom to a stable floor so children can develop properly. These are all essential elements in the transformation of a home, and you can see them reflected in each member of the family.
If you’re reading this and wondering whether to volunteer or not, I’d say give it a try—even just once. You don’t need prior experience, just willingness. Stepping out of your routine, truly getting to know your surroundings and different realities, gaining perspective—that’s what volunteering is.
Column written by María Paz Malvido, volunteer since June 2024 in the Programs area.
