Volunteering in Paris
I’ve been volunteering with Serve the City since October 2022. I don’t go every week, but I do try and go when I have the time, especially if the weather isn’t good because usually less volunteers show up. I love how flexible it is with my schedule so that I can fit it in around work and my personal life.
Why I volunteer
Community is very important for me, and I enjoy helping others when I can. I love having conversations with both the people we are giving food to and also the other volunteers. It a positive way for me to start my day.
Serve the City
Serve the City are a global community that host volunteering events in different cities around the world.
I started volunteering with them because the hours worked well for me, and because I didn’t need to have great French. When I started, I had French classes in the afternoon so a lot of other volunteering options weren’t possible. I’m no longer doing French classes, but I actually like that it’s in the morning so that I start my day off feeling like I’ve achieved something.
I’ve had a positive experience volunteering here, and I’ve met some really cool volunteers from all around the world. I’ve taken friends volunteering with me which has always been a fun way to spend time together.
Food Distribution
Serve the City have three food distributions per week that start from Square Albert-Schweitzer. Every Tuesday and Friday at 9:30 and at 10am on Saturday mornings. They also host other events such as a French language and culture event (which I’ve never been to) and S.A.V.E events (more on that later).
All the volunteers meet in the park. Depending on how much food there is and how many volunteers depends on the number of routes that can be covered. Food is picked up on the morning from Prêt à Manger and sometimes the American church and American school of Paris who prepare sandwiches. The Caféothèque of Paris, a cafe just down the road has a cellar which is used for storing some of the equipment and can fill up flasks of hot water.
All the routes are a little different and change depending on where the people are (because sometimes the police force people to move or if it’s raining). Most of the routes are done via foot from the park, but some required you to take a metro to get there
There’s a few foods that volunteers often bring - I usually bring bananas, and hard boiled eggs are another favourite. It’s not required, but it’s always appreciated.
S.A.V.E
Serve the city also have a S.A.V.E (service, action, value, empowerment) program which I enjoyed a lot when I did this in 2022. As part of this program, they host workshops and encourage everyone to have their own project. Each project follows some steps including researching, funding and executing.
The project that I helped with (which was not my project) involved preparing bags to give out during winter. These bags included things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, lip balm, socks and heat pads.
Another project that someone worked on, was to set up a food bank in the American church, which he stocked with canned items of food.
The workshops have different themes, but I enjoyed the Curious Question the most because the questions and responses always left me with something to think about.
Get in contact
Have you volunteered in Paris? What was your experience? I’d love to know your experience, or any other organisations that I should volunteer with. You can get in contact via instagram at @abisummers or email at contact@abisummers.com
published date: 23rd May 2024
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