Volunteering truly shifts your perspective and takes you out of your own world

When I think about Project ImpACT, I think about something I knew I wanted to be part of long before I was even old enough to join. Growing up, volunteering was always part of my family life. My parents were constantly involved in Jewish and Israel-related causes and from a young age my sister and I were ‘volunteered’ for everything – fundraisers, school fairs, synagogue events, food collections, you name it.

At the time, I probably did not always appreciate the importance of it, it just felt like something I was required to do. But Project ImpACT felt different. I remember seeing older teenagers involved and thinking that it looked like something I really wanted to be part of, not just because it was volunteering, but because it felt active, meaningful and seemed to connect to real people.

The idea of cooking meals for people who needed them really appealed to me. When Covid happened everything moved online so I joined in. I would help cook during the sessions and then my family and I would deliver the food.

At a time when the world felt closed and uncertain, Project ImpACT gave me a positive outlet to focus on and I think that’s what makes it so special. During lockdown, a lot of us were frustrated about being stuck at home, missing school, friends and normal life. But through Project ImpACT, we were reminded that, for many people, lockdown was not just a boring inconvenience, it was frightening. Some people had limited access to food, shelter and community. It made me realise how much I had taken for granted: my warm home, food whenever I wanted it and people to rely on.

That is one of the biggest impacts of volunteering. It truly shifts your perspective. It takes you out of your own world for a moment. As teenagers, it is so easy to get caught up in school, exams, friends, social media and everything else going on in our own lives. While those things do matter, volunteering reminds us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

Project ImpACT is not just about cooking meals. It is about dignity, empathy and purpose. It is about turning a Sunday afternoon into something that can genuinely make someone else’s whole week better and let them know they’re not forgotten. It builds confidence and responsibility because you realise that, even as a teenager, you can make a real difference. You do not need to have loads of free time or be the best cook. You just need to be willing to show up, get involved, and care.

Importantly, it also builds community, because you get to work alongside other teenagers from different schools, from all faiths and backgrounds, who are all there for the same reason.

I would really encourage others to join Project ImpACT. Not because it will look good on a CV or for the Duke of Edinburgh, or because someone tells you to do it but because it is one of those things that genuinely makes you feel proud to be part of it. Even just one hour every other week means so much more to someone in need and that is something incredibly impactful.

• Allegra Crystal is a volunteer with Project ImpACT