Why should you be selfish when volunteering?
In October 2025, while drinking coffee in one of the nearby cafes, I received an email titled 'ESC project in Kozani, Greece with GO Alive’. They were looking for a volunteer to take over the foundation’s social media. Absolutely my area of activity, I graduated with a degree in Management and Leadership, I worked for a long time in a marketing agency and I co-create a foundation that deals with Generation Z marketing. Without thinking, in the same hour I created a CV for volunteering purposes (totally crazy, the goal was to stand out) and sent it along with a cover letter:
Fast forward to January and we are in the Greek town of Kozanii. I could write for many pages about the wonderful people I met during this project, both volunteers from other countries, from Greece and local residents. To write in capital letters about the number of tears I shed on the way to the airport on the last day of my stay, the kilometers I traveled visiting new places unknown to me before, or point out my disbelief at the number of moments when I said out loud how much I love my life…
That’s not what this article is about. Here I write about selfishness.
Two months later, another Polish woman came to replace me. We called so that I could tell her about life here. Finally, she asked me for one piece of advice. I told her „you must be selfish”.
It was my first long-term volunteering. Many people passed through the organizations during my stay. Each with different experience, expectations and character. I have created lifelong relationships with some of them, others I will never see again, and that’s okay.
When collaborating on projects, our dynamics were different. Observing our behaviour, approach to work and development, and listening to opinions and complaints, I came to the conclusion that I used as a title for this entry.
This sounds controversial. No one would ever say that the ideal volunteer is one who has a developed element of selfishness. So where does this assumption come from? That 100% subjective experience.
For me, volunteering was something that, in theory, would have absolutely no use in my life. I was worried that I would drop out of the labor market in Poland, that I would lose my friends and time. So I approached him with the idea of getting as much as possible out of this trip. And thanks to this, every action I took gave me experience, learning and practice for the future. I quickly noticed that the founders of the organization allow us to test and introduce many new changes, as long as we show initiative. And this is how I discovered my skills in working with AI. Simplifying processes, I set up the first Google workspace for NGOs in my life (it’s free, btw), in short, I became an IT girl haha. In addition, I had the opportunity to participate in international design meetings, organize a local festival, conduct workshops in English and many other things.
Each of them gave me the opportunity to experience something that I probably couldn’t do in my „normal” life. I always had someone who knew „computers” better than me, organizing the festival? Well, where… and I won’t even mention the English-speaking workshops.
And so volunteering, which was initially just an opportunity for me to visit a country I had never been to, became the reason why I changed my life, got a job that develops my competences and gained a different view of the world.
Still don’t see the selfishness in this? Let me explain.
On the last day, while returning from the car with my boss, I heard that I was one of their best volunteers. Because I wanted to. Because I took the initiative. And then this thought occurred to me: you have to be selfish and take from the project how
as much as you can, and in taking you will also give.
Each of the things I did was motivated by my own development. Thus, each of them brought unique value to the organization, developing not only me but also the foundation and its members.
And I encourage you all to do so. Don’t be volunteers who just follow orders. Step out of line! This project is for you, so use this time by taking on challenges that would not arise in your „normal life”. Develop yourself. Develop the organization that hosts you. Develop its members and the entire society!
