Elena´s testimony, volunteer of Red Deporte

Voluntary work has always been a vocation that I have wanted to develop, and which has become a reality by working with Red Deporte y Cooperación during a year, on collaboration programs with Cáritas Madrid, and the  Centro de Acogida al Refugiado (C.A.R.) in Alcobendas.

In the first center we spent our evening studying, doing our English, French,  Math, Science homework and having fun  playing outdoors sports, craft workshops, and carrying out ludic activities, playing, and getting enriched mutually. We can learn a lot about children and giving them love makes us feel that we receive double. The experience of working with other volunteers has been great, sharing our knowledge with vulnerable children from Madrid, being able to understand and feel the meaning of San Juan Bosco´s words: ´No basta amar a los niños, es preciso que ellos se den cuenta que son amados´(It’s not enough to love children, its necessary that they notice that they´re loved)

At the C.A.R. in Alcobendas we had yoga, pilates and dancing classes with the residents.  The residents participating residents ranged in age from 4 to 65. As a sport and physical activity, it was very gratifying to carry out these sessions to observe how people improve and feel the beneficial effect both physically and mentally , of these activities. We also organized outings for the people, for the purpose of getting to know the city better as well as the province of Madrid. We also carried out various nature outings which deliver a lot of peace to the children who participated.

It has been a very valuable year as a life experience which has offered me a lot, as it was a period full of challenges, great experiences, others not so much, but which I have learned a lot. I feel grateful and enriched for living the encounter with different people in every sense of the word, which has widened my horizons.