Being a volunteer

I was often asked why I do this, why I do things for which I do not get paid, why I go to a place where there is plenty of suffering, pain, sadness and poverty, why I try to help to those around me who are powerless, why I am a “volunteer”.

To be honest, I have asked myself those same questions in these past 3 years. Perhaps it was that inner calling to save the world, or maybe I wanted the become the volunteer of the month, the volunteer of the year or I wanted to look better than I actually am. Yet, gaining first hand volunteer experience enabled me to analyze this matter sincerely and subjectively and I reached to the conclusion that nothing provided me more satisfaction, joy and inner peace than the smile of a happy child opening their Christmas present. I can say that this is my greatest reward.
One of the projects of Caritas in which I participated is the gift caravan for Romanian children in need from German children (Kinder Helfen Kindern). In this project I got to know people who have come with this caravan for more than 10 years, and always with the same wish to provide a tiny joy for those children. They feel that being a volunteer is the greatest satisfaction and this enables them to feel the joy, to laugh and feel as if they were children once again together with those children.

Petrică Mălăncuș, volunteer in Petrosani