Assisting visually impaired people in their daily activities

"In Spain, my time with ONCE allowed me to support a community where dignity and independence are lived every day. Helping blind people with small daily tasks often turned into simple, genuine moments of connection. Those moments showed me what inclusion really feels like when it happens naturally between people.

Back in Austria, my impact took a different shape. As an ESC coordinator and mentor, I accompanied many young volunteers through excitement, challenges, culture shocks and personal turning points. Each of them brought something back into their host community, and by supporting them, I became part of many small stories of change across Europe.

My solidarity project ClayConnects has been one of the clearest ways to see impact directly. With our mobile pottery studio, we reached almost 300 children, young people and adults with disabilities or trauma experiences. Working with clay gave them a calm, creative space to express themselves. Families and caregivers often told us how participants became more confident, joyful and relaxed.

These experiences remind me again and again that volunteering plants small seeds – in individuals, families and entire communities."

"Volunteering didn’t just influence my life – it shaped the entire path I walk today. My very first experience in France as a 19 year old taught me the power of reflection and stepping outside my comfort zone. My European Solidarity Corps volunteering project in Spain intensified this transformation: working with blind people at ONCE opened my eyes to inclusion, empathy and the impact of non-formal education.

These experiences defined who I am professionally. They inspired me to start studying Anthropology and Social Economics, become a trainer specialized in inclusion, interculturality and diversity, and later coordinate ESC programmes for four years – supporting volunteers through their most exciting, but also most challenging moments. I grew into someone who can hold space for others, guide them, and empower them to grow.

Volunteering also sparked my creativity and confidence to develop my own solidarity project, ClayConnects, a mobile pottery workshop for marginalised groups. Seeing nearly 300 participants find joy and connection through clay affirmed what I had learned since day one: meaningful change begins in small human moments.

I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the ESC. It shaped my values, my career, and my belief that solidarity is a lifelong commitment."

"I believe volunteering is essential because it creates something that institutions alone can never achieve: genuine human connection. It brings people together across borders, abilities, backgrounds and life stories. In every volunteering moment – whether supporting someone with a disability, guiding a young volunteer through a challenge, or creating art side by side with children in my solidarity project – I’ve seen how solidarity can transform lives in small but powerful ways.

Volunteering allows people to grow, to be courageous, to discover what they are capable of. It strengthens communities, builds empathy and reminds us that we all have something meaningful to give. But most importantly, it opens doors – especially for young people who may not otherwise have access to opportunities to explore the world, their strengths, and their place in society.

My deepest wish is that EU-supported volunteering remains accessible to everyone – regardless of their financial background, ability or their level of education. These programmes changed my life, influenced my studies and my entire career. I wish for more young people to experience that same turning point and to realise: solidarity is not only an action, it’s a mindset that can guide you for a lifetime. "

"My birthday wish for the 30th anniversary of EU-supported volunteering is simple, but deeply felt: that the spirit of solidarity which shaped millions of young people – including myself – remains at the heart of whatever the programme becomes in the future.

As we move toward 2028 and a new programme generation, I hope we keep what has always made volunteering so powerful: accessibility, openness, inclusion, and the belief that every young person deserves the chance to discover the world and themselves through meaningful engagement.

For the next 30 years, my wish is that volunteering continues to be a doorway – especially for those who rarely get doors opened for them. That young people from all backgrounds feel welcome, supported and inspired to create change in their communities.

I also wish that the programme remains brave enough to evolve: to include more diverse forms of solidarity, to reach rural areas, marginalised groups, and digital spaces, and to empower young people to create their own solutions to the challenges of our time.

May the next decades bring even more connection, creativity and courage – and may solidarity continue to be one of Europe’s strongest languages."