"Volunteering with Corrymeela turned out to be one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It’s about having a ball, as I learnt to say. Going to bed exhausted but feeling more alive than ever. Looking forward to my day off and then immediately not being able to wait to go back to work. A new week, a new team, a new adventure. I enjoyed knowing that I was a part of something, whether I was working with groups on the front line or on reception or in the kitchen. Finding out that, thanks to a simple hug or a present, I was able to develop a bond with the kids in spite of the fact that I couldn’t have profound conversations with them.  I could not have done this alone, without the help of the other volunteers and without being part of a bigger group.

From the beginning, when I stepped into the hall and felt at home, to the end of teary goodbyes and exchanged e-mail addresses, I felt welcomed. There were no conditions, except mutual respect, and this sensation of warmth and safety and protection. This led me to do the same with the new volunteers the week after and is what made all of us feel the need to keep “this welcome thing” going on week after week, with long-term volunteers, short-term volunteers and the groups themselves. I’m convinced that what we lived will stay with me and so will the belief in tolerance that

I hope will fuel us for the rest of the year to move forward with our lives, together with the knowledge that in Northern Ireland and all over the world there are young people like us, who make an effort to change things, who are not afraid to open up to the others."

– Veronica from Italy, Summer Volunteer 2006

"I've always been involved in community work and coming up to Corrymeela was a natural step. My dad volunteered here on a short term basis and my mum’s a nurse, so working with people and getting to know people for me is very natural. I’d been in Corrymeela many times and got involved in volunteering after participating in Corrymeela’s Youth and Community Project.

Volunteering is a wonderful experience. You always get back much more than you’d expect and you have the chance to meet people that, either through choice or circumstance, you wouldn’t socialise with. Corrrymeela is full of buzz and an incredible energy. No matter how tired, wound up or frustrated I am, up here I get the space to think, recharge my batteries and laugh. Up here you can totally be yourself and be honest and contentment washes over you.

Corrymeela has changed me. I’m happier, more confident, more relaxed, content and more understanding. I’m always welcomed like an old friend and listened to like all the important people. Conversations are honest and heartfelt and coming back is like coming home."

– Stephanie from Ballycastle (NI), Short-Term Volunteer

"Corrymeela has a special place in my heart.  Volunteering at Corrymeela was an amazing and unforgettable experience. I truly enjoyed working with people from other backgrounds, and I had the unique opportunity to form life-long friendships other volunteers from all over the world. I loved volunteering during the Summer Programme and the experience really had an impact on my life.  It helped me understand how to work with others who are different from me and it was a great education on how diverse our world really is.  I definitely plan to volunteer at Corrymeela again!"

– Meghan from USA, Summer Volunteer 2006

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