Perhaps the most famous quote about volunteering comes from Sherry Anderson: “Volunteers are not paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.” Volunteers are those individuals who believe they can change the world and make it a better place. They are invaluable because they bring a unique spark to every activity, a spark that others might lose under the pressures of obligations and modern-day worries.

While people usually become volunteers because of their intrinsic motivation to brighten their communities, it’s undeniable that they themselves gain many benefits in the process. In this article, we will explore the intangible rewards of volunteering and highlight how volunteers carried out an entire project: ŠIZIKA – Sewing, Patches, and Creative Activities.

Why do we volunteer?

Volunteers often hear questions like, “Why do you work for free?” or “Why spend time on that when it won’t help you in the future?”. Most commonly, they’re asked, “Why do you volunteer?”. Sometimes, even volunteers don’t know the answer right away—they need to reflect on it. According to a 2023 study by Katie McCord, the motivations behind volunteering vary based on personality traits, characteristics, and age. Each generation tends to have a dominant reason for volunteering. For example, millennials are driven by a sense of community and the desire to acquire new skills. Generation X volunteers seek friendship, purpose, and enriching experiences. Generation Z, today’s youth, is motivated by opportunities to gain practical knowledge and skills to support their career paths (McCrod, 2023). What unites all generations is the desire to productively fill their free time while contributing to the greater good.

Finding the right volunteer opportunity for you

The motivations, personalities, and interests of individuals influence the type of volunteering that appeals to them. Many people associate volunteering with humanitarian aid, and this is often the most common form. Helping others, whether they are the elderly, migrants, or animals, satisfies the natural human drive to assist those in need. At Sunce, however, we focus on helping the environment—a cause that sometimes lacks the immediate emotional gratification of aiding another person. We strive to help our volunteers understand that those who cannot help themselves—like nature—are the ones who need us most. A healthier environment benefits countless people in the local and wider community. Regardless of the type of volunteering you choose, what matters is that it brings you joy. When it does, you’re helping both yourself and others.

Developing skills through volunteering

Once you’ve identified what you enjoy and found fulfillment in your contributions, it’s time to reflect on the other benefits you’ve gained along the way. Volunteers learn about their chosen causes in the most effective way: through experience. As Albert Einstein said, “Knowledge is gained through experience; everything else is just information.” Beyond thematic knowledge, volunteers develop soft skills like adaptability, teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and presentation skills. Many volunteer experiences align with one or more of the eight key competencies for lifelong learning. In some cases, volunteering transforms into a lifestyle, shaping the individual and influencing their life’s direction. Employers increasingly recognize the value of volunteering, understanding that it demonstrates initiative, responsibility, and teamwork—qualities that stand out in today’s competitive job market.

How volunteers brought the ŠIZIKA project to life

U Suncu smo odlučili poduzeti nešto po pitanju enormne količine tekstilnog otpada koja guši i uništava dijelove zemlje. Najbolji je pristup poštivanje principa odbij – smanji – ponovno upotrijebi – prenamijeni – recikliraj. Kako se ovaj princip primjenjuje na odjeću? Vrlo je logično: ne kupuj što ti ne treba, kupi manje, sašij, popravi, prenamijeni, odvoji tekstil za reciklažu. Zaključno, možemo informirati zajednicu o ovoj problematici kako bismo smanjili kupnju i bacanje tekstila. Isto tako, možemo educirati o šivaćim tehnikama kako bi mogli samostalno popraviti i prenamijeniti. Nažalost, kao što je već spomenuto, ponekad su zaposlenici opterećeni „moranjem“ i trebalo nam je malo sjaja kako bi ovu važnu poruku prenijeli što uspješnije. Tu nastupaju volonteri!

At Sunce, we decided to tackle the overwhelming issue of textile waste, which is suffocating ecosystems around the globe. Our approach follows the principles of refuse – reduce – reuse – repurpose – recycle. Applied to clothing, this means: don’t buy what you don’t need, buy less, sew or repair your clothes, repurpose them, and separate textiles for recycling. In conclusion, we can inform the community about this issue to reduce the purchase and waste of textiles. We can also educate them on sewing techniques so that they can repair and repurpose themselves. Unfortunately, as already mentioned, sometimes employees are burdened with “having to” and we needed a little sparkle to convey this important message as successfully as possible. This is where volunteers come in!

We found Renata (or Renata found us), who led 14 top-notch sewing workshops for over 50 citizens! Volunteer Maja documented everything and, as a media technician, transferred theoretical knowledge from experience into inspiring videos and “captured” it with photographs. Petra’s articles “Greenwashing—how companies deceive well-intentioned consumers” and “Fast fashion: what is it and how does it impact our world?” attracted a lot of attention, and Filipa rounded off the whole story by creating a sewing brochure for beginners so that everyone could start this sustainable practice on their own.

The future of ŠIZIKA

Thanks to the hard work of volunteers, ŠIZIKA has become a signature initiative at Sunce. We are deeply grateful to them and to the City of Split, which recognized the project’s value and provided financial support to ensure its continuation. Interest in sewing remains high, as does the enthusiasm of our volunteers. We’re ready to do even more in the upcoming year!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated on the next ŠIZIKA workshops. And if you’d like to volunteer—whether for this project or another environmental initiative—reach out to us! Together, we can protect nature and the environment.

SOURCES:

McCord, Katie. (2023). Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Lions Australians. QUT Behavioural Economics Forum: Australian Lions Membership Seminar.
https://research.qut.edu.au/best/projects/generational-volunteering-exploring-generational-nuances-in-the-volunteering-sector (accessed December 20, 2024)