Grow a future generation of volunteers in Poland

Dear Donors and Friends,

Since our last update in February, our volunteer community has continued to grow — not only in numbers, but also in experience, responsibility, and the role it plays in our local communities.

Today, volunteering at the Klementyna Foundation is becoming much more than additional support for our programs. It is developing into a local network of people who know their communities, understand the needs of older residents, and are ready to respond when help is needed.

A busy spring full of action

The past months have been especially intensive for our volunteers. One of the biggest moments of the spring was our Easter campaign, during which we prepared and distributed 500 holiday packages for seniors.

Behind every package were people giving their time and energy: preparing products, packing boxes, organizing distribution, delivering packages, and — most importantly — meeting seniors in their homes.

These visits remind us why local volunteering matters so much. For many older people, receiving support is important, but the conversation at the door, a familiar face, and knowing that someone remembers them can be just as meaningful.

At the same time, volunteers continued supporting our everyday programs. They helped us reach seniors living in smaller towns and rural communities, supported food assistance and local activities, and remained an important part of the Foundation's daily work.

Volunteering is becoming more local

One of the most important developments of recent months has been strengthening our volunteer network across five local communities.

This matters because our goal is not to build volunteering concentrated around one organization or one town. We want people to be able to help close to where they live.

Local volunteer groups make our response faster and more personal. They also help us reach people who may otherwise remain invisible — particularly older residents of small towns and villages who experience loneliness, limited mobility, or difficulties accessing support.

We are learning that sustainable volunteering grows through relationships. A volunteer who knows their community can notice needs that no database or application form will ever show us.

From one-time help to long-term engagement

Another important step has been our continued focus on making volunteering meaningful for the people who choose to join us.

We want volunteers to understand not only what they are doing, but also why it matters.

For younger volunteers in particular, volunteering is becoming a place to develop communication skills, responsibility, empathy, teamwork, and confidence. At the same time, working alongside adults and seniors creates something increasingly rare: genuine relationships between generations.

This is especially important to us. Poland is aging, while many local communities are simultaneously experiencing weakening social ties. We believe volunteering can become one of the bridges connecting generations and rebuilding those relationships.

Growing means learning

As our activities expand, we are also learning more about what volunteers need in order to stay involved.

Recruitment alone is not enough.

People need good preparation, clear roles, support from coordinators, a sense of safety, and — perhaps most importantly — the feeling that their time genuinely makes a difference.

That is why we continue developing our approach to volunteer onboarding, communication, coordination, and education. We are listening to volunteers and looking at how different groups — teenagers, adults, and older volunteers — experience volunteering differently.

Our ambition is not simply to recruit as many people as possible. We want to create a system in which people want to stay.

What comes next?

The second half of 2026 will be another important stage in this work.

We want to strengthen local volunteer groups, develop cooperation with schools and other community institutions, create more opportunities for young people to become involved, and improve the way we support people who are already volunteering with us.

We also want to continue building a model that can respond to a challenge much bigger than our Foundation.

As the Polish population ages, communities will increasingly need people willing to notice one another, stay connected, and act locally. We believe volunteering can be part of that answer.

Every meal delivered, every package carried upstairs, every conversation with a senior, and every hour someone chooses to give brings us closer to that vision.

And none of this growth would be possible without people who believe in it.

Your support allows us to turn willingness to help into organized, safe, and lasting action.

Thank you for helping us build communities in which older people are not forgotten — and in which the next generation learns that caring for others can be a natural part of everyday life.

With gratitude,

The Klementyna Foundation Team