Happy International Volunteer Day! And yes, congratulations are in order. The world is different because of you. It may sound dramatic, but it’s true. The places we have been, the people we have met, the memories we have created – all of them have gained new meaning precisely because of you.
Just think about it. How many smiles did your workshop bring, the one you believed was nothing special? How many people became interested in a topic simply because you were the one who introduced it to them? Somewhere today, someone is ordering coffee in English with much more confidence because at a camp they felt free to speak, and make mistakes – with you.
The castle or fortress whose restoration you helped with is now part of hundreds of photographs, memories, and stories of children who invented dragons and heroes… And all of that because you might have cleaned a space, painted a room… when in fact, you did so much more than that.
Hundreds of people walk past the garden you worked on. The same garden where you learned how to plant properly and struggled with tools—now it smells of flowers and bears fruit (well, not on this windy December day, but spring is just around the corner!). Some animals felt love and warmth for the first time while you were helping at a shelter where they are now safe, and in the shade of a tree you planted, someone may have gone on their very first date.
Just imagine how many times someone thinks of you while, in a small town on the other side of the world, they explain who is behind the mural that decorates a schoolyard. Thanks to your decision to go to a camp, someone now has a new friend—and a new reason to smile.
We also want to remind you of all those people who came to Serbia just because of you. Of those you hosted the way only we know how, and to whom you showed the very best we have. How many more people now know our food, music, holidays, and even a swear word or two, simply because you decided to go to a camp.
And yes, there were also camp leaders who spent a sleepless night because of you… but don’t worry, they only became stronger and wiser afterward.
Not for a second should you underestimate how much such an experience has influenced you. Every adventure in which you had to navigate a new city, ask for help, miss a train, or travel eight extra hours just to stay one more day in a new place has now become a part of who you are. Think of all the new recipes in your head, the board games you showed your friends as soon as you got back, and how many new foreign words now live in your mind.
And don’t forget those who could hardly wait for you to come back home.
By going to just one camp, you create thousands of positive changes in this world.
Every decision, no matter how small it may have seemed, had an impact. You are part of a community of several thousand volunteers who once again this year chose to do something good – for themselves and for the world. We wish you to continue making brave decisions, and Young Researchers of Serbia are here to support you in that, because as our motto says:
THINK BIG, do little – start an avalanche!
Happy International Volunteer Day!
#InternationalVolunteerDay #IVD2025 #Every contribution matters
