Young, hopeful people with wanderlust and a desire to change the world as well as some scattered “seniors,” wanting to experience travel through a different perspective, attended the presentation of summer volunteer programs hosted by the NGO, ELIX, at the Academy of Athens last Tuesday. With 2,063 programs from 57 countries, there is indeed something for everyone.

As the presentation wore on, it became clear that there are many motivations as to why prospective volunteers are interested. A spectrum of mundane reasons such as cheap travel and work experience all the way to lofty ideals and a desire to make a difference to society are cited. Regardless of the underlying impetus, it’s the local community that benefits the most in the end.

To emphasize this and whet participants’ appetite for volunteering, the ELIX troupe points to a screen featuring past work camps from around Greece. As one image welcomes another, the camera zooms into a huge smile of a Down Syndrome child taking part in a summer program for disabled youth at Elefsina, west Attika: “It’s my birthday today! I feel so happy,” says the young girl as the screen freezes.

Ilias Antoniou, a permanent senior volunteer, points to the girl. “At the end of each program its smiles like these that make these programs rewarding,” he says. “Novice volunteers are usually apprehensive at first, but all who return feel as though their participation was a unique experience, perhaps the trip of a lifetime.”

Mainly young people embark on volunteering, but many – like Antoniou – persevere past their prime. Then there are families with kids aged from 4 years upwards who choose volunteering as a great way to see the world, teach their kids compassion and bond through the process. It’s not just the services that they offer that bring about change. “Ultimately, volunteers become more fulfilled as people,” says Antoniou. “You can literally feel yourself becoming a better person.”

Judith Wunderlich-Antoniou, originally from Germany, has gathered together a plethora of volunteering opportunities. There’s something for everyone –-from creative educational programs around Greece, a festival of languages in Russia, yoga classes in India, to photo festivals in Iceland. There’s a wide spectrum of programs, from cultural heritage and promotion, environment programs as well as social and educational offerings.

As Greeks look outward and participate in programs around the world, volunteers from far and wide stream into the country.

“Apart from helping out a local community and experiencing a nation in a more authentic way, you get to meet interesting individuals from around the world,” says Wunderlich-Antoniou, who co-ordinates programs in Greece while facilitating communication between Greek volunteers and organizations abroad. 

Practical details

Volunteers work from 5-7 hours per day, five days a week. In exchange, they get free food, accommodation and some sightseeing in the process. Better still, they learn new skills, get a taste of international cuisine – depending on who has cooking duties – and make friends from around the world in the process.

All volunteers pay for is the price of transport and a small extra fee for participation, usually around 100 euros.

To make the selection process easier, ELIX has a search engine where prospective volunteers can scour the offerings of different countries. The site also includes a selection of random picks on its site based on the rave reviews that these have received from past volunteers.