Student Journals: AIFS in Florence, Italy

Cortney Newell
University of Virginia
Richmond in Florence, Italy

Volunteering at an Italian food bank

Student volunteers in Florence
Student volunteers at the final ceremony.

I had no idea what to expect when I stayed for the volunteer meeting almost four months ago in Lido. I didn't even realize coming in that volunteering while I was in Florence was an option. And, when I heard the different places to volunteer, I was particularly torn by the decision I had to make. Part of me wanted to intern at an art gallery – I love art and it seemed like a very unique opportunity, especially since I was in Italy (which obviously makes all the opportunities unique). However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that with the incredible gift I'd been given, it would be good for my heart and my perspective to give a little back to those who were really in need, so I settled on la Ronda della Carità, the "food bank."

It was the best decision I made in Italy. Despite the difficulties I faced as I adjusted to a new country, new friends, a new diet, a new life, my Tuesday nights spent outside the Campo di Marte train station handing out food and water, having conversations, and building relationships were regularly the highlight of my week. Sometimes it was all the got me through Tuesdays (when I had 9 house of continuous class). But every week I'd catch the number six bus for 20 minutes and get off in a part of Florence that was at first strange and unfamiliar, yet soon became one of the places I enjoyed being most.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy. There were weeks when I was frustrated by the limitations our language barrier put on me (because unlike many of the Italians in the center of Florence, most of the people I worked with did not speak any meaningful amount of English), weeks when I felt shy and a bit overwhelmed by the sometimes rough exterior of the people who pushed and shoved around me, and even weeks when I felt too exhausted to even walk to the bus stop and catch a ride over. And, of course, the other volunteers were always there to help me – to translate when I just couldn't figure out what exactly I was trying to say, to encourage me, even to protect me by teaching me to protect myself and be more assertive. I loved meeting and exchanging stories with them as well, and I felt immediately accepted into "i signori della sera."

And always, the minute I got off the bus, my attitude changed. Despite the difficult challenges I encountered, not once did I leave and not feel uplifted and encouraged. There is something special about giving a part of yourself, your time, your heart, your mind, to someone else in need. Because even though the people we helped were coming for food on the outside, I think the relationships I built helped us both with an unspoken inner need. To connect, feel important, and feel loved. I came to love the time I spent with those people, and will genuinely miss them. I not only learned how to speak and communicate better from my time there, I learned about Italian society and about their lives there, I saw a part of Italy I imagine most students never see, and I think it irreversibly fixed my perspective on a country I have come to love. I do not see it with rose-colored glasses, but rather through the eyes of my own experience and the experience of those I spent so much time with.

It was difficult, even intimidating at times. There were days I felt incredibly misunderstood and I had to fight against the negative stereotype of American students many of the people had, but in the end I began to gain their acceptance and, even more valuable, in some cases their friendship. Truly, my Tuesday nights will feel empty without them. It was the most meaningful, most exceptional, my uplifting and most valuable thing I did in Italy. I would not have had the same experience without it.

Richmond in Florence

Richmond Florence Internship Program