Finding the Right Place in the World To Be Helpful

Two other travelers and I were speeding through an industrial stretch of Athens this winter when, from a distance, we glimpsed a spectacular sight. “Look,” I said, peering out through the window. “It’s the Acropolis.” The ancient ruin glowed in the afternoon light, but we had no time to visit. The three of us—two Americans and a Spaniard—were spending our day in Greek big box stores, purchasing food for a humanitarian relief team called Refugee Biriyani & Bananas (RBB). We had joined RBB as volunteers, helping provide supplies to some of the tens of thousands of displaced people currently living in Greece. Our days revolved around procuring inventory, distributing goods and serving hot tea and cookies in the reception room of the team’s free shop.

With tourism rebounding from the pandemic, volunteer travel is growing as well. A wide range of people now participate, including college students, retirees and professionals with specialized skills. Within the humanitarian sector, many organizations depend on their support, but volunteers and aid teams also struggle to find one another. “It’s getting harder and harder to get volunteers right now,” says Ruhi Loren Akhtar, RBB’s founder. She has only half as many staffers as she needs to run her projects.