A volunteer is someone who has chosen to invest their free time, skills, and resources in helping others. They consciously give up time that could be spent on themselves, their family, and their own interests in order to do something useful for the community.
In most cases, volunteers work quietly on a daily basis, but we want to tell their stories because kindness can be contagious, and kindness is something we really need today.
We end the year with a story that perfectly expresses the meaning of this column, and we dedicate it to all those who devote themselves to others, sowing love and allowing hope to blossom.
When giving is also a way to feel better: the story of Juls
Giulia Criveller is a freelance visual designer specializing in illustration and calligraphy. You can also call her Juls if you prefer, which is her stage name. In January, Giulia joined the team at the volunteer association I gatti con la valigia(Cats with Suitcases), which is dedicated to helping animals in need.
"I was coming off a year that had dampened my enthusiasm a bit, and I needed to devote myself to something beautiful and pure, without thinking too much about revenue. I remember the first meeting very well. I was having dinner with all these girls who were throwing ideas back and forth across the table. They were irrepressible and contagious at the same time, just what I needed to rekindle my creative spark."
The association
I gatti con la valigia (Cats with Suitcases) association was the brainchild of Sabrina, whom Juls met through a mutual friend. It does not limit itself to dogs and cats in the Veneto region, but crosses borders and extends throughout Italy, all the way to Sicily, where you could say it all began. It was during a trip to the island of Favignana that Sabrina realized how many poor stray animals needed help.
"This summer we organized a trip to Favignana. We all went together and it was a wonderful experience, an opportunity to get to know each other better and work as a team, but also to see a particularly complex reality with our own eyes. We saw the suffering in the eyes of the strays. You can see in some of their eyes that they are not made for life on the streets, and it is heartbreaking. We felt useful; it was the full expression of what it means to participate in a collective project."
Cultivating the spirit of volunteerism, to each their own
There are so many activities to take care of. "" Each has its own role. Some girls host the animals while they wait to find a new home as a temporary shelter. Then there are those who take care of adoptions, an extremely demanding job, also from a bureaucratic point of view, where you often find yourself wasting time because those who offer to adopt may withdraw at the last minute for various reasons. We are very scrupulous about adoptions, making sure that the homes where the animals will be welcomed are safe and that the people who will take care of them are well aware of the commitment and responsibility they will be taking on. .
One of the secrets to cultivating satisfied volunteers is to value their talents and aspirations. Within every association, there are multiple roles to fill, and everyone can and should find their place.
When she arrived, Giulia first dedicated herself to redesigning the logo, which for the volunteers was also meant to be a symbol of a better future, conveying a message of welcome, protection, and unconditional love for animals in need
. Today, she is also responsible for drafting the social media communication plan and producing much of the content that is published. "It's a big commitment, because we post often on social media: every week I try to schedule three pieces of content, some of which I create myself and others by the girls who have the puppies. Marianna, for example, is a photographer and she is the one who goes to photograph the animals in the shelter. It's a daily commitment, but it all comes very naturally."
You do your part, but what you get back is much more
Giulia grew up in an environment where social commitment was something of a rite of passage. Like many of her generation, she worked as an animator at summer camps and school camps, and served tables at village festivals to make herself useful and learn to do something more practical."These experiences not only taught me a little about how to be in the world, but they also remain among the most beautiful memories of my adolescence, very simple things that, when you grow up, you realize how much they have left you with."
Volunteering also creates and cultivates new relationships, allows you to have new experiences, and often pushes you beyond your comfort zone, discovering something more about yourself."If you truly believe in the cause you are working for, the satisfaction is so profound that you realize it is not you who is giving to others, but quite the opposite. You grow, you enrich yourself, you have fun, you feel at peace."
Support I gatti con la valigia: adopt, donate, or become a foster home
If you love animals and think you have the space to take in some in need, contact the association to become a foster home. There are times when the number of dogs and cats in need far exceeds the number of volunteers available to take them in before they are permanently adopted.
Write to igatticonlavaligia@gmail.com or search for @igatticonlavaligia on Instagram and send your application message directly. On the page, you will also find the details for making a donation or instructions for adopting an animal in search of a new family.
Together we can make a difference.
The photos of puppies and volunteers with puppies are by Marianna Scarpis - @living_withnora
Juls' portrait is by Sabrina Tosato - @brina_too
Juls is wearing the Apollo Salopette
Germogli is the new column dedicated to the stories of those who, like us, have decided to put their heart and soul into designing a dream. Every month, you can read a new story here.
