You want to start volunteering but you're not sure if it's worth it? Let me give you five reasons why you should pack your bags and come to Poland.
My name is Méryl, I'm 18, and I'm from France. I did my short-term volunteering with INPRO in Rzeszów from mid-January 2026 for two months. It might genuinely be the best thing I've ever done, and I can't recommend it enough.
1. To travel somewhere completely new
I always wanted to travel but never quite knew where to start or how to make it happen. This kind of project gives you exactly that push. You land in a country you know almost nothing about, with no language skills, no familiar faces, no map in your head. And then, slowly, those streets start to feel like home. You have free time to explore, to wander, to discover places you'd never find on your own. You go somewhere new and you actually feel useful while you're there. That combination is hard to find.
2. To meet people who actually become your people
This might sound like something everyone says, but hear me out. Short-term volunteers live together in a flat with five other people. That's the situation I was in, and I genuinely met some of the most wonderful people I've ever come across. We spent two full months together and I know for certain I'll see them again. Beyond the flat, the locals and Erasmus+ participants you meet along the way are warm, interesting, and genuinely different from anyone I'd met back home. The people are the best part of this experience, full stop.
3. It costs almost nothing
INPRO is funded by the European Union, which means your round trip from home to Rzeszów is covered. Accommodation is provided in exchange for the work you do, which is genuinely manageable, and you receive pocket money on top of that. I took a gap year after finishing my studies and the European Solidarity Corps made it possible to travel at almost zero personal cost. You only spend money on extra activities, and none of those are mandatory. If budget has been the thing holding you back, this is your answer.
4. To actually develop skills that matter
There's no single skill this experience gives you because it gives you several at once. Living in a shared flat teaches you how to coexist, share responsibilities, and communicate properly with people who are very different from you. Going into schools to give presentations in English builds confidence, adaptability, and the ability to read a room. Before this project my English was around A2. Two months later it was B2. I'm 18 and this was also my first time living away from my parents for an extended period, which pushed my independence further in two months than the previous few years had. You'll find your own version of that growth. But you have to show up first.
5. To discover a culture that surprises you
When you're European it's easy to assume other European countries won't feel that different. I was wrong. The architecture, the rhythm of daily life, the way evenings work, the music, the food, all of it had its own flavour that I didn't expect. Polish nightlife deserves a special mention: coming home at 5am and meeting at least one new person every night became a regular occurrence. Jameson Pub, Kraków rave nights, take your pick. But if that's not your thing, Rzeszów is equally good for a quieter life. Space4Youth, K20, parks, the flat. It works either way.
And yes. Pierogi. Obviously.
The country is also incredibly easy to explore: Warsaw, Kraków, the mountains in the south, the slightly mysterious city of Przemyśl full of churches. There's always somewhere new within reach.
I used to be very introverted and genuinely thought INPRO might be a scam when I first came across it. I applied anyway because I had a feeling that not applying would mean missing something huge. I was right. I have zero regrets, a new country that feels like home, and the quiet hope that it'll bring me back someday.
I think it will. I hope the same happens to you.
See you soon, maybe.
Méryl