Naše Mesto – ‘Our City’ in English – is the largest corporate volunteering event in central Europe. (source: The Pontis Foundation)
Prejudice and fear often stem from misunderstanding or fear of the unknown. Volunteering has the power to break down these barriers by encouraging people to step outside their comfort zones and connect with those they might never otherwise meet, transforming misconceptions into understanding.
Naše Mesto (Our City)
Naše Mesto – ‘Our City’ in English – is the largest corporate volunteering event in central Europe. This year the event will take place in Slovakia on Friday, June 6. Organised by the Pontis Foundation for the 19th time, thousands of volunteers wearing white “I Have My Heart in the Right Town” T-shirts will help NGOs, schools, kindergartens and centres that provide social care. For instance, they will clean up nature and community centres, restore castles and other monuments, and spend time with the residents of various social service facilities.
This profound transformation is something Alžbeta Šporerová, director of the Centrum Rodiny community centre in Bratislava’s Dúbravka borough, has witnessed first-hand. Time and again, she has seen barriers fall – for the volunteers, and for the recipients of their help. For instance, corporate volunteers might come to realise that a young Roma woman can be an accomplished manager, while a young man struggling with addiction might discover that not all his peers use drugs.
“We see how people, while volunteering, are pulled out of their bubble and begin to change their minds,” Šporerová told The Slovak Spectator.
Volunteering: Transactional versus transformational
When it comes to volunteering, there are two main types: transactional and transformational.
Transactional volunteering is straightforward. Volunteers perform a task, feel good about helping, and perhaps receive a simple “thank you” before moving on. Often, they may not even know who benefited from their efforts.
“This form is, of course, very beneficial for the recipients of help,” said Ivana Vagaská, an expert in corporate responsibility and corporate volunteering at the Pontis Foundation, speaking to The Slovak Spectator.
But transformational volunteering goes far beyond mere task completion. It’s about deepening empathy, learning through direct experience, and gaining new perspectives that challenge preconceived notions. This kind of volunteering not only helps others but also inspires personal growth and a lasting commitment to community support.
“Connecting different social groups creates broader and more diverse communities, strengthening trust among people,” Vagaská explained. “Volunteers become more sensitive, open-minded, and team-oriented – qualities that are also highly valued by their employers.”
