Why Solidarity?
I find the notion of charity a troubling one. It seems to embody a notion of the 'haves' helping out the 'have nots', an image of 'putting your arms around someone' instead of 'giving someone a leg up'. I therefore prefer to use the term solidarity - for me this is about standing together with people and organisations, acknowledging the two-way flow of energy and benefits. It represents moving toward a society where the principles of giving, volunteering and strengthening communities are a fundamental part of all of our lives.
Volunteering has always been a part of my life and been immensely formative in shaping who I am today. The organisations displayed here are those that have had most impact on me, and whose values I associate myself with most.
I find the notion of charity a troubling one. It seems to embody a notion of the 'haves' helping out the 'have nots', an image of 'putting your arms around someone' instead of 'giving someone a leg up'. I therefore prefer to use the term solidarity - for me this is about standing together with people and organisations, acknowledging the two-way flow of energy and benefits. It represents moving toward a society where the principles of giving, volunteering and strengthening communities are a fundamental part of all of our lives.
Volunteering has always been a part of my life and been immensely formative in shaping who I am today. The organisations displayed here are those that have had most impact on me, and whose values I associate myself with most.
ShelterBox’s mission is to provide emergency shelter to families who have lost their home to disaster, enabling them to rebuild their lives. They go to hard to reach communities, often those overlooked by others, to provide vulnerable families with a place to call home. They work with their global network to support communities around the world to rebuild and recover from the worst days of their lives.
ShelterBox teams work with disaster-hit families around the world, offering emergency shelter and other essential items to support them in rebuilding their lives. Every disaster is different and so is every community, so they spend time with those affected to make sure they can offer the right support at the right time to help them recover.
In September 2019 I joined the ShelterBox Response Team. This means that I am part of the team ready to respond to natural disasters, to travel around the world and deliver shelter, tools and other essential items to the families who need them most.
There are some great ways to be involved with ShelterBox, such as joining their Book Club, making a donation, or signing up to their mailing list to keep up to date with operations. Click on the icon below to find out more.
