Volunteering in "Maisto bankas"

"Maisto bankas" , in English it is called foodbank, is a charity organisation which fights hunger and food waste problems, it supports people in need by food every day and organises food giving (distribution) actions every month.

On 17 July, I volunteered at a food distribution action, which is a frequent event, occurring each month.  It was the first time for me to work with foodbank.

I started at 9:30, in Vilkpėdė office of "Maisto bankas", and I left only at 16:00. Of course, I had a half-hour lunch break.

So, there was a lot of action (especially in the morning) : at first I was registering people which came for food support (I had to fill the papers, take signatures etc.), later, we changed roles and I was bringing the food to each person, after that, I was "employed" as a questionnaire representative.

All these activities required not only physical work, but also communication with the people in a queue and with volunteers. It took endurance, communication skills, fast reaction and orientation during this activity.

The main struggle was the pace as there was sometimes so many people waiting and we had to hurry, hurry and, of course, watch out for mistakes. Hot weather did not facilitate this...

Even tough I came home extremely tired and sweaty after this activity, I am glad that I was useful and could contribute in such an action. It was also important to understand the shocking scale of poverty in Lithuania, what encouraged to save food more.

P.S.- 6 CAS hours

 


More about foodbank at: https://lt-lt.facebook.com/maistobankas

Collecting donations for fund "Algojimas"

"Algojimas" is a charity fund which aims is to help disabled children and their families. It organizes camps for disabled children and their families, where volunteers look after the kids and play with them, whereas family members, especially parents, have their own activities where they get psychological support etc.

Two years ago, in Summer, I volunteered in one of their camps for three days and this is how I was added to volunteer database.

A week ago, I got a letter from "Algojimas" asking for volunteers who could help collect donations for the fund. So I decided to join, since I had had a little practice with this activity with the Order of Malta in winter.

The volunteers met in the morning and we were taught what to say, how to communicate with the passerbys in the street; we were also given leaflets with information about the fund and signed voluntary work contracts. After the meeting which lasted for one hour, we went to the streets of Vilnius centre. 

My territory was around the white bridge and near the shopping centre "Europa". I had identification badge, leaflets and a charity box. I was standing in squares and streets, inviting people to donate some money for the disabled children's fund. 

This activity was an extreme for me. We were all walking on our own and it took a lot of bravery to step out of my comfort zone and approach total strangers by myself. At first, I was addressing to certain chosen people. Later, I would dare to address to almost every person who walked by. I was collecting donations for an hour and a half at one spot, then had a 15 minute rest and proceeded for hour and a half in another place. 

I was totally exhausted after all. Constant communication and inconvenience caused my tiredness. However, I felt rewarded because I had collected over a hundred LT during that time. I felt also proud of myself because I had dared to do this and I had done this all by myself. To sum up, this activity required determination, communication, patience, politeness and motivation and was really valuable experience.

P.S.- 3 CAS hours
                                                          

                                                     Me with my volunteer identification badge: