Summer has begun, and more and more young people are spending time with us at Food for Life—or, as we affectionately call it, „Futi”—completing their high school community service as volunteers before taking their final exams. Two weeks ago, students from a downtown school helped with our daily mission, and last week we received reinforcements from the youth of a nearby rural high school. Volunteering is always a commitment where we can selflessly give of ourselves for a noble cause. And we are delighted that these young people have chosen to support our food distribution efforts! Thank you for your help!

If you're a boy about to take your high school graduation exams and haven't yet decided where to complete your school community service, sign up with us—and in addition to a guaranteed meaningful,
You'll experience inspiring teamwork, learn all about how our foundation operates, our community, and why our food distribution mission is so important to the world.
Feel free to reach out to our mentor, Zsuzsanna Báder, who will share the details about volunteering at school with you. With her help, you’ll be able to write it with ease.
your report as well. Email: [email protected]

At the end of the service week, we asked the students how they felt, what they found challenging, and what advice they would give to young people who are thinking about getting involved in this kind of community service.

All four of them returned home with positive experiences, and the warm welcome quickly dispelled their initial shyness. Most of them were worried about what it would be like to be around other people, and one of them faced a technical challenge when he had to sort the beans into small boxes. The work is very physically demanding, so in the future, we will only be able to accept boys for this high school community service program.

In addition to serving at the facility and distribution points, the volunteers were also given a tour of the temple, since the food is prepared at the Budapest headquarters of the “For Life” Krishna-conscious community. This allowed them to gain a closer insight into the living culture of Krishna consciousness, which forms the moral foundation of our foundation’s work and our food distribution program.

Jasmine: “What’s most shocking is that children are among those in need, too. Because while adults have a history that led them to this situation, children are born into it—and that was hard to see. I’m becoming a little more aware of how these people live. It made me think about coming here even outside of my social work duties, because it was a positive experience in every way. I’m thinking about volunteering here even after my social work assignment is over.”

Elderberry: “This place has a really great atmosphere; everyone is so cute and nice. We had some really great conversations with everyone, and the working conditions are just right. I’ve been introduced to a religion that’s new to me, which, as a 17-year-old still figuring things out, is another way to discover a new part of the world. If you’re worried that you won’t be able to get into the vibe or that you won’t feel at home here, don’t worry—you won’t be alone in anything here, and everyone is incredibly helpful. Serving food is an experience everyone should have.”

Lili: “I did feel a bit uncertain at first because I hadn’t really been part of a community like this before, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone is so kind, the group is great, and the work isn’t that hard. The challenge for me was that I’m more of an introvert, and interacting with people isn’t my strong suit, but I’m confident I’ll be braver next time. I think we’re definitely coming home with a great experience and a broader worldview, which is important. Don’t be afraid of anything when you sign up for community service. You’ll learn something on the first day, and from there, it can only get better.“

Kati: “At first, I was really worried about what the people would be like and what the food distribution would be like. But I quickly grew to love it—I really like this place. I was similarly worried about having to talk to people and interact with them, but I learned from this that I need to be persistent in building my confidence so that I can do more in this service. Handing out food and packing it up was a really great experience, and the fact that we came together as friends helped all of us a lot.”