Kennert volunteered in France in 2023 for nearly one year. Joining the French Red Cross with the support of NGO EstYES, Kennert taught first aid gestures in primary schools and local associations together with another European volunteer. 

🎤 What has been the most memorable or impactful moment from your volunteering experience — something you will never forget?

The most memorable moment from my volunteering experience was the opportunity to contribute to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games during the final month of my nearly year-long service. I was entrusted with driving the French Red Cross first aid teams across Paris to various event locations, sometimes using ambulance-grade vehicles. It was a role that carried real responsibility, and I felt proud knowing I was contributing to something so significant. 

Being part of this mission felt like living a dream. I could never have imagined my year ending in such an extraordinary way, and it’s a story I’ll share even when I retire. I felt deep gratitude for the chance to witness Paris during such a historic moment. It was emotional and inspiring, and it reminded me how meaningful volunteering can be."

🎤 What type of impact did your engagement have on the local community where you were active?

"Through my engagement with the local community, my main mission was to deliver interactive first-aid and life-saving courses to children in schools. The students I taught gained essential skills, such as how to use a defibrillator effectively and how to respond in case of an accident, enabling them to act more confidently in critical situations. By sharing what they learned at home with their parents, they created a ripple effect of safety and awareness that benefits the entire community, which is now better prepared for emergencies."

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life?

"Volunteering has shaped my personal growth and outlook on life by making me reflect on the existential aspects of life. Listening to stories I would never have heard otherwise taught me not to make assumptions, as we can never truly know what someone has been going through. 

Volunteering has humbled me and made me far more grateful for everything I have, reminding me not to take anything for granted. Experiencing gratitude through volunteering has also made me a happier person and has changed how I think, act, and feel about life. It helped me better understand the meaning of human equality and deepened my compassion toward those who feel treated unequally."

Kennert and his friend at the Paris Olympic Games

Kennert and his friend in a Red Cross vehicule

Kennert presenting at a First Aid training

Kennert and his friend giving a first aid training

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Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026

Kristi, from Estonia, volunteered in 2001 in The Netherlands with the project 'Engage to Empower' with the support of the Estonian Family Planning Association (nowadays the Estonian Sexual Health Association, ESHA), Engage! InterAct.

Project Engage to Empower's objective was to develop critical thinking and create learning structures in organisations and communities in order to explore and value diversity as a reality and resource in society.

🎤 What has been the most memorable or impactful moment from your volunteering experience — something you will never forget?

"There are many stories I still tell, even 25 years later – about the washing machine that boiled our laundry, my flatmate’s pet rat Luna who would come at night to inspect the sleepers on their pillows, or my own culture shock. But the day that will probably stay with me for the rest of my life is September 11, which started like a sunny, ordinary working day. Until one of us glanced into a café window and saw the news on TV: planes flying straight info the skyscrapers. 

Realising what was happening, we rushed to work where our supervisors and colleagues were already waiting for us. For the rest of the day, we discussed cause-and-effect relationships, talked about the roots of violence and terrorism, the importance of compassion, dialogue, and understanding another perspective. We also spoke about our personal views, prejudices and fears stirred up inside us. We understood that this day had changed the course of human history. Yet the conversation we had in that circle – deeply personal and exposing human vulnerability – helped to restore a shaken sense of safety and reminded of the power of human connection."

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life?

"Although before my voluntary service I had already "become independent“ – had a job, lived abroad etc – it was this experience that shaped me the most as a person. Looking back, those 8 months changed my worldview, attitudes and approach to life, people, and my surroundings more than the previous 25 years. I re-evaluated many values and personal boundaries that once seemed unshakeable. Much of this came from sharing a flat with five very different personalities, each with their own habits and ways of understanding everyday life. 

Voluntary service provides a certain safety net, making it easy to stay in your comfort zone and contribute only as much as is required. Yet this experience made me rethink the importance of personal responsibility – both in shaping my own life and the world around me. I still remember what one colleague said: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you’ve never spent a night in a tent with a mosquito." All my later professional work stems from what I learned in European Voluntary Service (EVS). Thanks to it, I accepted a job offer and met my future spouse. Now, we have 3 children and our eldest plans to volunteer after high school."

🎤 What is your birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU supported volunteering — and for the next 30 years to come?

"Once, during a mid-term training, as we discussed the purpose and impact of the EVS programme from a financial perspective, one young person shared their view on its value: When you travel around Europe, you see signs saying "Built with EU support" – on roads, hospitals, schools. In the same way, every volunteer who has taken part in the programme should have such a sign on their forehead, because EVS (now ESC) is a programme for building people. Its impact is immeasurable, because every participant carries it forward into every human interaction.

My birthday wish is a sincere thank you – to all the young people who have found the courage to “build themselves“ and to all tutors, mentors, organisations and communities who supported them, and through that helped create a better world!"

Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026

Mervi, from Finland, volunteered with an organisation dedicated to promoting cooperation in local cultural heritage, artistic creation, and community cultural activities in Spain. During her placement, she helped organise an international event in Portugal, assisted with administrative work, collaborated with a theatre company and a sister organisation in Barcelona, supported fellow international volunteers in guiding Camino de Santiago pilgrims, and took part in organising arrival trainings for other European Voluntary Service (EVS) volunteers.

🎤 What has been the most memorable or impactful moment from your volunteering experience — something you will never forget?

"My experience was full of both uplifting and challenging moments. One of the most memorable highlights was helping to organise an international cultural exchange in Palmela, Portugal—a truly inspiring gathering of people and ideas. On the opposite end of the spectrum, one of the most shocking moments was discovering one morning that all the office computers had disappeared. Because our organisation also had volunteers and an office in another town, I innocently assumed someone had taken them there, so I just carried on working as usual. Only after talking with my supervisors did I realise the truth: the computers had been stolen. 

I remember feeling incredibly naïve—one of those moments when you suddenly see the world a bit differently. Fortunately, the computers were eventually recovered, but that day taught this “rural village girl” that not everything has a simple, kind explanation, not everyone acts with good intentions, and burglaries don’t only happen in the television."

🎤What type of impact did your engagement have on the local community where you were active?

"I believe I brought an uncommon international perspective into many people’s daily lives in the small town where I was based at. Within my closest circle, I encouraged friends and colleagues to form relations and explore opportunities abroad and to seek more international connections. My “Spanish sister,” as I fondly called her, was so inspired that she later also applied as EVS-volunteer and chose to do her own voluntary service in my country.❤️ "

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life?

"EVS was my gateway into the world of international cooperation — a world I didn’t even know existed. It ignited in me a lasting passion for meeting new people, discovering different cultures, and working in fields connected to solidarity, cooperation, and opening doors for those who might not otherwise have them. From that point on, there was no turning back."

🎤 Why do you believe volunteering is important?

"Volunteering is truly a win–win experience. When you offer your time, energy, and kindness, you receive even more in return. You enrich others’ lives, and through that exchange, you help strengthen the entire community. Volunteerism has a beautiful, contagious ripple effect—an expanding circle of solidarity."

🎤 What is your birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU supported volunteering — and for the next 30 years to come?

"My wish is that people continue to see the immense value of volunteerism and of giving time for the common good and nurturing genuine human connection. For the EU, I hope for decisions rooted in community needs and in the voices of young people. I also wish for effective mechanisms to identify those young people who are in less privileged situation and target volunteerism opportunities to those who need it most. Everyone deserves an opportunity."

Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026

In 2024, Clovis participated in a 2 month volunteering in Croatia with Suncokret. The volunteer project's objective was to motivate and include youth, children and adults of the local community in activities and projects that benefit the whole community while providing volunteers with an opportunity to experience the local culture and the local way of life.

The same year, Clovis followed with a team volunteering at the Vastatokka Youth Centre in Finland, where he helped to plan and implement a family event during the winter and helped out at Skábmagovat Indigenous Film Festival.

🎤 What has been the most memorable or impactful moment from your volunteering experience — something you will never forget?

"When I was in Croatia helping an elderly person with the firewood and spending time with kids at the kindergarten. The best thing was when I got to know a villager who took me with him to play futsal on Saturdays. We still have contact and send each other messages."

🎤 What type of impact did your engagement have on the local community where you were active?

"There was this young person in the village, who didn’t talk much to anyone. I started to talk with him and after a few days he became more sociable and active. He also got some new friends."

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life?

"I already had some skills from coaching a football team for kids, so spending time and volunteering with people of all ages was not totally new for me. From this volunteering project I got a lot more experience and my understanding for example of young people developed a lot."

🎤 Why do you believe volunteering is important?

"It is important for many young people that are not studying or working and want to challenge themselves so that they can take part in these kinds of volunteering activities. Especially for young people with fewer opportunities, some maybe have not ever been abroad. Being a volunteer gives them an opportunity to get to know a different culture, learn a new language, strengthen their language skills and get a unique experience that lasts a lifetime. You might also gain skills that are useful in your future job."

🎤 What is your birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU supported volunteering — and for the next 30 years to come?

"That a lot more young people will get the opportunity to take part in a volunteering project!"

Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026

Chloé volunteered from 2024 to 2025 for 12 months in North Macedonia with the Volunteers Centre Skopje with the support of Solidarités Jeunesses.

🎤 What has been the most memorable or impactful moment from your volunteering experience — something you will never forget?

"I think one of my most memorable experience was at the European Olympic Youth festival, which happened in Skopje in July 2025. My organisation helped to organise and coordinate the event, particularly the reception of short-term ESC volunteers. Although July was chaotic and stressful at times, it was quite impressive and interesting to see so many people mobilising and participating in such an event. I was able to meet new people and make new friends. 

In fact, it was thanks to a friend I met during this period that I discovered the EuroPeers network."

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life?

"My volunteering experience allowed me to gain more confidence by proving to myself that I could accomplish things I might never have imagined. Indeed, being rather reserved by nature, I would never have imagined that one day I would enjoy running a book club or participating in TikToks. And yet, these are things I did throughout my volunteering experience. 

I also gained a great deal of independence and developed skills, particularly digital skills, that will certainly be useful in my professional life. 

What's more, I now have a broader view of life, having discovered new cultures, new perspectives and life experiences different from my own, but above all, having discovered the importance of sometimes straying from the more traditional path."

🎤 What is your birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU supported volunteering — and for the next 30 years to come?

"My wish for the European Solidarity Corps is that it continues to grow and become known to as many people as possible. Unfortunately, it is still a programme that is not necessarily known to those who could participate in it or to the general public, so I hope that the celebration of its 30th anniversary will help to raise awareness of it."

Chloé and her fellow volunteers promoting the European Olympic Youth Festival

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Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026

In 1999, Samuel volunteered for 12 months promoting the European Voluntary programme among Pisa residents and developing cooperation projects with Eastern European countries (Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary) on European programmes (Twinning, etc.).

🎤 What type of impact did your engagement have on the local community where you were active?

"This mission helped introduce the European Voluntary Service (EVS) to the inhabitants of the Pisa Province, particularly young people, through my testimony, during the launch phase of this first European Commission volunteer programme. In addition, during this volunteering experience, I contributed to the development of European projects (Twinning, culture, youth) between local authorities, such as Pisa in Italy, and several Eastern European cities (in Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic) prior to their accession to the European Union. 

This work led to close cooperation between the cities' organisations, as well as close ties and exchanges between their inhabitants. This experience also helped improve the understanding of the exchange opportunities offered by European programmes to European citizens, as well as increase the visibility of the direct impact the European Union has on local territories."

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life?

"It was my first real experience abroad at the age of 23, and the EVS was a key factor in both my personal development and my professional career. I made cultural and linguistic discoveries, met fellow Europeans, and built lifelong friendships that are still alive 25 years later. It was also a powerful professional experience, as I discovered how transnational cooperation and European programs work. Thanks to this opportunity, I later made it my profession. 

Since 2021, I have been working at the French Erasmus+ National Agency for Youth and Sport, and I am determined to help new young people benefit from this wonderful programme. This EVS gave me a true understanding of what it means to be a “European citizen” and made me realise that I could fully pursue my professional aspirations and personal development within the European space."

🎤 What is your birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU supported volunteering — and for the next 30 years to come?

"My wish for the 30th anniversary of EU-supported volunteering is that this programme will continue to exist and grow during the 2028-2034 programming period, increasing the number of young people who can benefit from it. Its transformative impact and ability to foster a sense of European citizenship among young people make it a powerful lever for the European Union. It is one of the responses to the societal and cohesion challenges facing the European Union in the coming decade."

Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026

Sabrina volunteered in Italy in 2001 for nine months with Cooperativa Sociale Kara Bobowski caring for children, young people and people with disabilities.

🎤 What has been the most memorable or impactful moment from your volunteering experience — something you will never forget? 

"It’s not a single moment I’ll never forget — it’s a feeling. During my year as a volunteer, I developed a deep sense of  fundamental trust in life. Trust in people, in encounters, in new situations. That feeling has stayed with me ever since. It taught me to stay curious — curious about places, cultures, ideas, and especially about people. That year became the emotional and experiential foundation for everything that followed.

Another lasting impact was the friendships I built with my fellow volunteers from different countries. Back then, we became a kind of temporary family — sharing life, laughter, homesickness, and growth. And that connection didn’t end when the project did. We’re still in contact more than 20 years later and just met again in the summer of 2025. And we’ve already started planning our 25th anniversary gathering in 2026. To me, that’s what European volunteering is about: trust, connection, and shared journeys + relations that last."

🎤 What type of impact did your engagement have on the local community where you were active? 

"Looking back, I think the impact was in the small but steady ways of showing up. As a volunteer, I became part of a community that welcomed me not as a guest but as someone who belonged. At the Informa Giovani (youth info office), I helped young people access opportunities they didn’t know existed — language courses, exchanges, summer jobs. At the after-school club, I was someone the kids could count on — helping with homework, organising games, just listening. 

For some, I was the little witch Sabrina; they believed I am the one they knew from the cartoon, just cut my hair. I wasn’t “saving the world,” but I contributed to the daily rhythm of life in ways that gave others more space, support, or inspiration. Sometimes, just by being a young person from another country who took the time to care. That felt meaningful — and I think it was felt."

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life? 

"That volunteering experience changed everything. I was 20, away from home for the first time, and suddenly immersed in a completely new context — culturally, linguistically, socially. I had to learn fast how to listen, how to adapt, how to work with others across differences. It was my first real experience of inclusion, not as a theory but as something you live and practice.

 Volunteering didn’t just shape who I am — it set the course for what I would later do. Today, I work as a trainer and facilitator in European youth work, often supporting the next generation of volunteers and professionals. But my compass was set back then, through hands-on solidarity, real people, and messy, meaningful moments. It also gave me lifelong friendships and a deep belief in the European idea, not just as a political project, but as a human one."

🎤 Why do you believe volunteering is important? 

"Because it’s about giving and receiving at the same time. Volunteering allows people to step into roles that aren’t transactional — where presence, care, and contribution are what matter most. It creates space for learning, empathy, and connection — not just across generations or cultures, but across realities. Especially in today’s world, where division, disconnection, and uncertainty are growing, volunteering offers a concrete way to build bridges. 

It fosters a sense of agency — showing that you don’t have to be perfect or powerful to make a difference. And it helps people understand that change starts with relationships — with showing up, listening, and doing the small things that add up to something greater. For young people especially, it’s often the first place where they realise: “I matter. I can contribute. I’m not alone.” And that can change everything."

🎤 What is your birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU supported volunteering — and for the next 30 years to come? 

"My birthday wish is this: may European Volunteering (and beyond) continue to be a space for people to grow, connect, and contribute — across borders, backgrounds, and beliefs. I hope the next 30 years will expand access, especially for young people who face barriers — economic, social, or geographic. 

I wish for more opportunities that are truly inclusive, built on trust, and responsive to today’s challenges — whether ecological, digital, or democratic. And I wish for every young person in Europe to have a chance to experience what I did: to feel they belong, that they can make a difference, and that their voice matters. Because solidarity, when lived, is transformative — not just for individuals, but for communities and Europe as a whole."

Volunteers reading a local paper

Volunteers animating a group activity with body painting, 2001

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Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026

Emma volunteered in 2019 with Dům dětí a mládeže Horažďovice (DDM), mostly at Envicentrum PROUD, supporting the organisation’s programmes in non-formal environmental education for children and young people, as well as at the educational farm and the youth centre of DDM.

🎤 What has been the most memorable or impactful moment from your volunteering experience — something you will never forget? 

"As a European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteer, I helped in several summer camps, and I will never forget my 20th birthday because an entire camp (with 50 kids) threw me a surprise celebration. 

My birthday happened to fall on the last day of camp, and they surprised me during the final campfire. The children had crafted small gifts from materials they found in the forest surrounding us, and under the starry sky everyone sang Czech birthday songs for me. My colleague from the camp kitchen, even baked a birthday cake.

 I felt incredibly loved and touched by how much effort they put into making me feel special, even though  I could barely speak Czech, and communication with the children and camp team was limited. This experience especially showed me that you don’t need to speak the same language to connect, care, or make someone feel special and included. Just share  a campfire in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the Czech mountains and celebrate someone’s birthday which they will still get goosebumps from thinking about even 5 years later (: "

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life? 

"Volunteering was simply life-changing. It gave me space to think about what I wanted to do with my life. From the summer camp I mentioned, I applied to the university that became my home for four years. ESC also gave me back a lot of confidence I’d lost because of bullying in high school. Because It showed me how brave I can be, figuring out life as the only ESC volunteer within a 100-kilometre radius, without speaking the local language. And because I was shown a lot of love by the local community in Horažďovice, colleagues for example who showed me life in Czechia, even invited me to family celebrations. They gave me a second home away from home. 

 I also discovered my passion for Europe which sparked now five years of volunteering in youth organisations such as EuroPeers or JEF. Before European Solidarity Corps when volunteering, I lacked the courage and discipline to realise my ideas into projects. ESC changed that because I was given the support to plan my own projects, including a whole summer camp. The skills I gained still shape me today, both as a volunteer and a professional, as my ESC experience opened many doors for me."

🎤 What is your birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU supported volunteering — and for the next 30 years to come? 

"First of all, happy birthday. For the next thirty years, I wish that every young person in Europe knows about EU-supported volunteering opportunities. Even today, for example, the ESC is still very unknown in Germany compared to other programs. Every young person deserves to have the same life-changing experiences that I had. I also wish that volunteering will no longer depend on one’s social background, because unfortunately many people still need to be able to “afford” volunteering – in terms of time, finances, and more. 

The ESC already does a much better job in supporting volunteers than many other programs, but there are still many barriers to becoming an ESC volunteer. I also wish that alumni programmes like EuroPeers will be better supported so everyone, no matter where from, can become a EuroPeer, so we can make the European Youth programs more known, and voices of volunteers and former volunteers heard. I wish that volunteers will have more opportunities to shape EU Youth Programmes and that there will be more possibilities for youth participation. And of course, I hope that the ESC or EVS, or whatever it may be called in the future, will still exist in thirty years."

Me on a trip during ESC, with a friend I met at my on-arrival seminar

Working at the educational farm of my host organisation

My hut at Summer camp

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Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026

Vera volunteered for 5 months in 2023 with You in Europe, a youth center, where she engaged young people in the local community and informed them about European opportunities, while also helping at a kids’ center, supporting children through educational and creative activities and spending time with them.

🎤 What has been the most memorable or impactful moment from your volunteering experience — something you will never forget?

What I will never forget from this experience are the people I met during this journey, who made me feel at home and with whom I created so many beautiful memories. I will especially never forget my 24th birthday that I spent there, which was very special and made me feel happy, safe, and free of worries. Granada, the place where I volunteered, will always feel like home to me, and I will always be deeply grateful for this opportunity.

🎤 What type of impact did your engagement have on the local community where you were active?

What I loved most was that through the youth center we encouraged young people to become more involved in their community. I truly felt that I was contributing to something meaningful by offering them ideas and opportunities that I didn’t know about at their age. This experience gave me hope, because I realized that young people want to be involved but often don’t know how or where to start, and that is what I appreciated most about my engagement there.

🎤 How has volunteering contributed to your personal growth, professional development, or overall outlook on life?

My volunteering experience in Spain changed my life both personally and professionally. I discovered a path I had never imagined for myself and grew in many ways throughout the experience. Today, I work in a similar field to my volunteering, and I feel more open and confident. None of this would have been possible if I hadn’t made the decision to spend that year in Spain.

Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026

Efthymia volunteered from January to December 2011 in Slovenia at the Youth Centre of Celje, Slovenia with the support of United Societies of Balkans (Sending Organisation). Her main activities were taking photos and videos during events, informing schools about youth in action programme, help with Europe Direct Desk when needed.

🎤 What type of impact did your engagement have on the local community where you were active?

"The most important impact for me was to help build an international network that inspired people from different backgrounds to get involved actively into local projects."

🎤 Why do you believe volunteering is important?

"Volunteering is an effective way of providing essential help that keep community groups running, while building connections among people who care for the same things. Furthermore, being a volunteer can boost confidence by making you feel more useful and develop skills which can even help your career."

🎤 What is your birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU supported volunteering — and for the next 30 years to come? 

"My wish is to never stop keep on giving the unique opportunity to every young European citizen to volunteer abroad under the safety umbrella of European Union."

Updated on Tuesday, 14/04/2026