I’ve been thinking back to when Wicklow Volunteer Centre first reached out after I registered. I had just moved here full-time and was looking for a way to give back. Over the past year, volunteering has become one of the most meaningful ways for me to both contribute and belong. I was drawn to it because that’s what I saw the local community doing – getting involved, showing up for each other, making space without making a fuss. It felt like the most natural way to take part.
With Greystones Cancer Support, I help behind the scenes by supporting their digital communications and social media and shaping their marketing structure. It’s a quiet role, but I hope it gives the wonderful team a bit more space to focus on the deeply human work they do every day. Getting to be part of that is genuinely a privilege.
At Fáilte Isteach, I support Ukrainian learners with conversational English. The sessions are informal, warm, and rooted in connection, often as much about shared stories as sentence structure.
Through both experiences, I’ve been part of local events, shared laughs, and witnessed a community that shows up for each other, quietly and consistently, and I volunteer because that’s what I’ve seen people here do. No spotlight, no noise, just a real willingness to make space for others and offer a welcome. Moments like chatting with the Taoiseach at a fundraiser are lovely. But honestly, it’s the everyday invitations – to help out, to take part, to sit down for tea that have made this place feel like home.
If you’re looking for a way to feel more connected to the place you live and the people around you, start by showing up for others the way they do. It makes more of a difference than you’d think.