My last week before Christmas was actually really crazy and busy and I had to travel a lot. The main reason about that was because my Arrival Seminar situated in Warsaw from the dates of 14-th of December till 20-th.
The Arrival Seminar is the obligatory part of every EVS project that you must do and go.This is a one week meeting and living with other volunteers like you who are also doing an EVS projects in Poland.
In my seminar we were twenty people from all of Europe and not only. There were people from France, UK, Spain, Portugal, Cabo Verde, Italy, Ukraine and etc., actually I was the only volunteer from Bulgaria there. I don`t want to lie that the beginning of the week there was really hard for me because I was alone from my country and without my friend and colleague Fani and all of the other people were together and at some point already know each other because a lot of the other projects are really big and include sometimes even five or more people who are living and working together in the same city of Poland. My case was a little bit different but honestly now I really don`t regret about that. Because like always happen you are finding your kind of people and in my case they were from Spain and not only. We had great time together and after this meeting I found out the best and lowest points of our project and work here in Zamosc,Poland.
The structure of the seminar is every day to do something different and to explore more about Poland, others and of course about your project and work here. We had timetable for day with different activities and tasks and of course we had a lot of free time also to enjoy Warsaw and to getting to know each other. We started with tasks to present our first impressions from Poland and the way we felt when we arrived here. Activities to present our countries and languages and also activities to help us getting better with our skills about Polish language and the Polish culture and manners.
My most favourite part and task was the one to choose a topic and do a small research about it in a group with others. We had to ask Polish people on the streets about their opinion and also to find our own way to discover more info. Mine group`s topic was about the homophobia in Poland - LGBT rights and the role of the man and women in the Polish society. As you can imagine the topic is taboo and also something that is not easy to ask others so I can say that our research it was hard but in the same time fun and useful.We have met great people and we visit two organisations in Warsaw, one about the women rights and one about transgender rights and protection.
For the end of all I can say that for sure my arrival seminar wasn`t what I expected. It was full of surprices and I had to go out for another time from my comfort zone here in Poland, but definitely it deserves it because I have met great people, had fun and found so much new things about Poland, people and the life here. :)
Wednesday 23 December 2015
Thursday 10 December 2015
The Gala of The Centrum Wolontariatu or the most important day for our local organization in Zamosc!
This week took place one of the most important events
in the year for our hosting organization – The Gala day or the day of the volunteer. The
place where all happened was our main office in the town – Okraglak.
- Our work about Gala
About this event we worked really hard and prepared
certain things to present the idea of our project and also the thing to be a
volunteer. We made lucky papers or in other words small papers with quotes of
worldwide popular persons connected with the idea of being and doing a voluntary
service. Also we made a funny and very cute picture place (a big picture with
wholes for the faces representing a simple conversation between boy and a girl
about volunteering), but honestly our idea didn`t work like we thought in the
beginning, because people there were too shy and didn`t understand the English
lines on it. So not many of them took a picture with it - it was a pity at some
point!
The other big part of our work and preparation about
the Gala were the flyers that we made about our activities here (The Language
Coffee and The Tandem of Languages). Honestly people looked interested about
them but also like with the picture place the fact that they were on English didn`t
help a lot.
After all we had our reserved place in the whole Gala
event with our things and it was nice. People stopped there to congratulated us
and we had the chance to present our job.
- The Gala or the work of our local organization
In general the whole official part was around one hour
or a little bit more. Ewa and Christina (the chefs of Centrum Wolontariatu)
presented all of the projects and things that they did in the last year. Ewa
made a presentation and explained about all of the small and big projects that
they realized through the year with the local schools and the voluntary clubs
in Zamosc. Later it followed another presentation from another woman of our
organization about their part of theater and art activities with the students
and seniors.
Before everything to finish Ewa and Christina recognize
the work of all of the local volunteers through the year (which was really nice
and fully deserved), the local school clubs, teachers and to the persons who helped
them.
Actually we were impressed from the fact how many
people here do a voluntary service and from the fact how many of them are young
people and students, which is a great fact for the community of Zamosc!
In the end of course of the event there was some
scheduled time for food and drinks. We enjoy it a lot and spent good time with
the students that we met and the people that we know from Okraglak. In general
for us it was a little bit difficult because everything was only in Polish and
almost all of the people spoke only in Polish but we enjoy the event and the
time spent with the people there! ;) 
Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits
The benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your family and your community. The right match can help you to find friends, reach out to the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career. Volunteering can also help protect your mental and physical health. Find out the many benefits of volunteering and also tips on getting started as a volunteer.
Benefits of volunteering #1: Volunteering connects you to others
One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need. And volunteering is a two-way street: It can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills.
- Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts
One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. Volunteering also strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities.
- Volunteering increases your social and relationship skills
While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum, it’s easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts.
Benefits of volunteering #2: Volunteering is good for your mind and body
- Volunteering increases self-confidence. Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.
- Volunteering provides a sense of purpose. Older adults, especially those who have retired or lost a spouse, can find new meaning and purpose in their lives by helping others. Whatever your age or life situation, volunteering can help take your mind off your own worries, keep you mentally stimulated, and add more zest to your life.
- Volunteering combats depression. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you’re going through challenging times. Working with pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety.
- Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy. The physical activity involved in certain forms of volunteering—such as environmental projects in parks, nature reserves, or beaches—can be good for your health at any age, but it’s especially beneficial in older adults. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not, even when considering factors like the health of the participants. Volunteering has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease.
Benefits of volunteering #3: Volunteering can advance your career
Volunteering can provide career experience
Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields, you can volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work you’re interested in.
Volunteering can teach you valuable job skills
Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are basic. Many volunteering opportunities provide extensive training.
Volunteering can also help you build upon skills you already have and use them to benefit the greater community. For instance, if you hold a successful sales position, you raise awareness for your favorite cause as a volunteer advocate, while further developing and improving your public speaking, communication, and marketing skills.
Benefits of volunteering #4: Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life
Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.
- Consider your goals and interests when volunteering
You will have a richer and more enjoyable volunteering experience if you first take some time to identify your goals and interests. Start by thinking about why you want to volunteer. Also think about what you would enjoy doing. Volunteer opportunities that match both your goals and your interests are most likely to be fun and fulfilling for you.
- Consider several volunteer possibilities
In your search for the right volunteer opportunity, don’t limit yourself to just one organization or one specific type of job. Sometimes an opportunity looks great on paper, but the reality is quite different. Try to visit different organizations and get a feel for what they are like and if you click with other staff and volunteers. The more satisfaction you have as a volunteer, the better your contributions and the more likely you’ll continue.
Source and full article at:http://bit.ly/1yEeN7b
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