We recently spoke with Alina F., one of our German volunteers at the end of her experience volunteering from another country in the United States at the Cambridge Women’s Center (in Cambridge, Massachusetts).
At United Planet we conduct exit interviews with our volunteers to hear about their experience and gather feedback about what worked best and what we can improve. Live volunteer feedback is part of the fabric of how we ensure that our volunteer programs provide the best experience for everyone involved.
Alina is focusing her university studies in Germany on psychology. She chose working in a women’s center as a way of getting real-world experience seeing what it is like to support women who need a safe space to receive help.
As a volunteer who is still a student, and on a short-term program for only four weeks, Alina was careful to respect boundaries and to not “practice” being a therapist. Instead, she was able to observe the center’s expert staff interact with the community members. Alina did gain the trust of members of the community and was able to help them with in other ways.
Many of the women in the Cambridge Women’s Center grew to recognize Alina’s friendly smile and readiness to help navigate the resources available to them. Alina felt like she was able to make meaningful connections as a volunteer.
The Cambridge Women’s Center’s Mission
The Cambridge Women’s Center is a physical and digital community space open to anyone for whom woman is a meaningful identifier or lived experience. We offer a safe space for learning, emotional support, empathy, and empowerment through self-determination.
Our understanding of the terms woman and feminism is intersectional, and we strive to create a community that is inclusive and actively working towards justice for Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+, those with disabilities and/or mental illness, folks experiencing housing insecurity and other Powerful Groups (both national and international) targeted for oppression.
In Alina’s Own Words
Thinking back, I can’t really pinpoint one thing I enjoyed most, I would say it really was the mix of everything that made my experience so great.
I loved volunteering at the CWC. I wanted to volunteer at a place where I could use some of my theoretical knowledge in practice, and I was absolutely able to do so there. Being able to help was really rewarding, and it was great to get to know the other volunteers as well as the women who visited the CWC over time. I had the chance to meet so many different people and hear their stories, which I really enjoyed.
It was definitely challenging at times even though those challenges made me enjoy it even more. I like challenges and I believe that e.g. dealing with difficult personalities or escalating situations only allowed me to improve my skills, which was a goal of mine. Their team was also great, I always felt comfortable and welcome!
I also loved the different activities in Boston, and while I enjoyed the museums too, my personal highlight was definitely the whale watching trip. I could absolutely recommend that to any other volunteer, it feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
It always sounds a bit like a cliché, but I think the quest absolutely allowed me to grow more as a person. Being so far away from your home and anyone you know, and working on your volunteer project just allows you to get to know yourself and your abilities in a really unique way. So choosing to sign up for the Quest was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
How You Can Make a Difference
United planet welcomes volunteers from all countries to go on Quests, in over 30 countries, with all skill sets and skill levels, students, professionals, and ages 15 to any age (we have had some pretty amazing volunteers travel abroad in their 80s!). We even have volunteers younger than 15 when accompanied by a legal guardian 21 years or older (group and family volunteering can create a shared experience with meaning that lasts a lifetime).
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
