"Maisto bankas"

On 2013-10-19 I participated in "Maisto bankas" action. "Maisto bankas" is a charitable organisation, which colects food from people willing to donate and gives it to the ones who truly need it. I volunteered in one of the Vilnius' supermarkets and had the job of distributing the flyers and inviting people to participate and also collecting the food from those who donated.

It was a very interesting experience as it was my first time doing something similar. I learned not only how good it feels to participate in a charitable event, but also how enjoyable the interaction with people actually is. I usually prefer individual work and solitary activities, because I do not feel comfortable interacting with people I do not know well. This event helped me step out of my comfort zone and see how willing some people are to actually talk and that approaching people is not as hard as I thought it was.

I also understood how hard it must be to ask for help for those who need it. Not only did I got the chance to think about the people who do not have enough to buy food for whom the food was being collected, but also listening to some of the people's reactions to the flyers and some of the stories they shared, made me understand that there is a lot of those who need help and who struggle all around me.

Overall, the activity was a challenge for me as I did not know what to expect, but I think that I dealt with it well and that what I have gained from it was well worth it.