Greetings from Italy, from the small town of Cingoli in the Marche region!
I’m Laura, and I’m currently halfway through my six-month European Solidarity Corps volunteer placement with the Italian Red Cross.
Here in Cingoli, I live with other international volunteers in accommodation provided by the hosting organization. Most of the Red Cross volunteers here are local people of various ages, and the activity level is high. The core areas of work include things like regularly driving elderly people to and from hospitals in larger towns, providing first aid or ambulance support at local events (such as sports events, concerts, and village festivals), and planning and organizing activities for children. I’ve had the chance to take part in all of these activities during my volunteer period.
I’m interested in gaining international work experience. That is the main reason I sought out volunteer opportunities. I ended up in Italy more or less by chance. I connected with the organization through the European Solidarity Corps portal ↗, and Maailmanvaihto ry is my sending organization in Finland. In Italy, both Vicolocorto ↗ and the Croce Rossa di Cingoli ↗ are involved in the program.
I already had some previous experience studying and working abroad. Every environment and culture has taught me something new about people, the world, and myself. Initially, I hoped and expected that my volunteer experience would mainly focus on contributing my efforts and gaining new types of work experience. However, I’ve once again found that a volunteer period offers so many opportunities to learn—not only about the work, but about the new living environment, culture, and about oneself.
I was warmly and openly welcomed in Cingoli and met many nice people here, and I’m truly grateful for that! My limited Italian language skills do create challenges in communicating with people, both at work and in my free time. I often feel I’d like to be able to give more of myself when interacting with clients and coworkers. Fortunately, I’m steadily understanding more and more of what’s being said and what’s going on around me!
The workload varies from day to day—sometimes we’re busy, while on other days there’s more time to tidy the office or study Italian independently, for example. Now in the summer, there are many opportunities to work during evenings and weekends at various events. In August, we’ll be organizing a large event here in Cingoli called Calici dal Balcone, and preparations began weeks ago! I spend most of my free time in Cingoli, as there’s limited public transport to other towns, but this little town is fortunately very pleasant and beautiful. Occasionally I do get the chance to go elsewhere and meet up with friends outside of Cingoli.
I continue to live here with a grateful and happy heart for the months ahead. I hope that by taking part in the organization’s work I can be of use to the local community and individuals, and I believe that the experience I’m gaining during this volunteer period is helping me grow both personally and professionally. I encourage anyone interested in volunteering to take the opportunity if it arises!