Why volunteer? Life lessons from disaster relief work
September 2, 2020
Alexa Balbuena first volunteered with All Hands and Hearts in the Philippines in 2015. She was inspired to help people in her home country recover from Typhoon Haiyan. Alexa returned to the Philippines Typhoon Relief Program in 2016, then joined us in Nepal in 2018 and Mexico in 2019.
Below she shares what motivates her to keep returning and what she’s learned from service.
Lesson One: It’s not about me
While it’s true that volunteering with All Hands and Hearts empowered me to become a better version of myself and develop a strong sense of purpose, it also helped me recognize that helping create a positive and lasting change for others is far more meaningful than anything I could gain for myself.
Living and working in disaster zones brings an entirely different perspective. Even now, long after saying goodbye to community members and other friends I’ve made while volunteering, I still feel part of something much bigger than myself.
While it’s true that volunteering with All Hands and Hearts empowered me to become a better version of myself and develop a strong sense of purpose, it also helped me recognize that helping create a positive and lasting change for others is far more meaningful than anything I could gain for myself.
Living and working in disaster zones brings an entirely different perspective. Even now, long after saying goodbye to community members and other friends I’ve made while volunteering, I still feel part of something much bigger than myself.
Lesson Two: Everyone can make a difference.
Being raised in a developing country highly vulnerable to natural disasters, I previously thought only people from developed nations were able to offer help during these situations. I was quickly proven wrong after arriving in Leyte where I teamed up with Filippinos and volunteers from all over the world, including other developing nations.
All Hands and Hearts has an “open door” volunteer policy. I’ve personally worked alongside volunteers aged 17 to 73 and, in the fifteen years the organization has been responding to natural disasters, All Hands and Hearts has hosted volunteers from 144 nations. This cemented the notion for me that everyone is able to make a difference — being willing to serve transcends ethnicity, political views and cultural norms.
It only took that first experience of volunteering in my home country to stir me into adopting a lifelong service mentality. I’ve learned to ask, “can I help you?” whenever I can and the result has been life-changing. It has humbled me, given me opportunities to grow and improved my relationships.
While I’ve been fortunate to volunteer abroad twice, if you’re not in the position to travel, there are always opportunities to help your own community.
“I’VE LEARNED TO ASK, ‘CAN I HELP YOU?’ WHENEVER I CAN AND THE RESULT HAS BEEN LIFE-CHANGING.”
Lesson Three: Keeping an open mind opens doors.
Volunteering in the Philippines opened my eyes to lived experiences I might never have had the opportunity to see. Similarly, living within a rural community in the mountains of Haibung gave me a real-time education about Nepali culture.
I’ve often said that joining an All Hands and Hearts program is like gaining an instant family (a phrase that was even more symbolic in wintry Nepal where most bonding involved adding hot water!). Having welcomed more than 61,000 volunteers to their bases around the world, the All Hands and Hearts community is highly diverse and has been my favorite place to learn about the world, observe different aspects of human behavior, share or pick up new skills, exchange travel tips, create amazing memories and have my ideas and beliefs challenged.
Thanks to countless inspiring conversations during my time in Nepal, I began to explore my own country with a new perspective. Now, when I’m exploring other countries, I’m less concerned with checking off bucket list items — instead, I try to immerse myself fully in the culture and support people in need when practical.
If you keep an open mind, you’ll learn important lessons in humility and how to appreciate the simple things in life on an All Hands and Hearts program.
Lesson Four: Get comfortable being uncomfortable
I will be honest: life on base with up to 100 people and the hard work on site has its tough moments. All Hands and Hearts is committed to supporting remote communities and their international bases often have limited resources, including reduced access to running electricity and water. Relying on generators and hand pumps can be a challenge. Having never experienced winter before, I also personally had a difficult time adjusting to the low nighttime temperatures in Nepal.
But everyday, we got up as a team with renewed strength to push forward. Everyday, I was inspired by my fellow volunteers’ energy and dedication. Everyday, we gave 100% because we knew we were there for the same goal: to build disaster-resilient schools and homes alongside the incredible communities we were serving.
Volunteering with All Hands and Hearts definitely placed me in challenging situations, but it also taught me creativity, courage and resilience. I’ve been pushed beyond my limits, and chose to break out of my comfort zone to keep moving toward our goals. Now I’m less daunted by challenges which may lie ahead and much more likely to view something as possible.
I volunteer to give my time, energy, skills — and even a little bit of myself. However, what I’ve taken home with me is the memories, friendships and tenacity to keep helping. Even when it’s hard work, these are experiences nothing can replace. Belonging to a community of extremely motivated individuals, all trying to make a positive difference, has stuck with me. I’ve been able to apply this motivation everywhere I go.
Interested in embracing some life lessons? Join All Hands and Hearts on a program: