What is World Meeting of Families (WMOF)? World Meeting of Families is an event organised by the Catholic Church which an estimated 1 million people from around the world will attend from August 21-26 in Dublin. It will be organised mainly in the RDS, the AVIVA stadium and the Phoenix Park. Pope Francis is expected to be in Dublin during the event. This will mean that a further 1 million Irish people will be coming to Dublin to greet the Pope. Basically, the atmosphere will be electric!
Why should I get involved? This is a once in a lifetime experience especially since it is in Dublin and we are hosting it. Being involved in helping with this event means you will have first-hand experience with helping others, meeting a great variety of people, and having amazing fun. Anyone who has volunteered in an event like this always says that it was life-changing, a fantastic experience from beginning to end.
What is the plan for the week? We are organising a one-week residential workshop for all young people (secondary schoolgirls and university students) who wish to volunteer for WMOF. This will be held in Glenard University Residence from Saturday, 18th and Sunday, 26th August 2018.
How can I sign up to be a volunteer? If you are 16 years and older: you need to register online with WMOF first:
On the online registration form, when asked for Group Name and Leaders name, you need to put:
Group Name: BROSNA GIRLS CLUBS
Leaders Name: CATHERINE MCMAHON
This is essential because if you don’t put this in your online form, you will not be assigned to our group.
Once you have done this, contact the Club or Centre or email us, and we will let you know about the info session you need to attend and your documentation for the Garda Vetting form.
If you are not yet 16 years of age, you don’t need to be registered or be Garda vetted, but you do need to fill out a registration form specifically for volunteering with Glenard. Email if you don’t have a Registration Form.
What will I be doing as a volunteer? Can I choose what I want to do? You will be doing everything! From meet and greet at the RDS, preparing packs, organising youth activities for primary school kids, setting up rooms, involved in the social media platform for WMOF, at registration desks or information desks. This is just some of the things that you will be involved in but obviously there is much much more.
What will I be doing during the week when not volunteering?Apart from volunteering which will take up about 6-8 hours of your day, we will also be doing fun activities organised in the evening including Go Karting, Movies, Cooking together, Shows, Ziplining, etc. There will also be opportunities to get to know the Catholic faith better with interactive sessions, video forums, time for prayer and reflection.
Glenard University Residence will be our base. Most of our volunteers will be staying there and all will be using it as their base. Not all the volunteers will have the same set times, so there will be different activities organised throughout the day depending on the hours of each volunteer group. For example, you may be volunteering in the morning (10-1pm) and then again in the evening (5-8pm) so in the middle of the day, you might participate in a kayaking activity with others.
With an estimated 40-50 volunteers participating throughout the week from Glenard, there will be great experiences shared and a ton of fun.
What is the accommodation like? There are single rooms and shared rooms. Depending on numbers living in Glenard, you may be sleeping in a single room with bathroom or you may be sleeping in a shared room. It really does depend on demand. The accommodation is excellent and very comfortable. Naturally if you are a light sleeper, we will ensure you are in a quiet area. The important thing is that you sleep!
Food will be provided: buffet style, self-service. For many of you, you will also receive lunch with the official WMOF organisation which provides food for their volunteers.
Is there anything else I need to do to prepare myself to be a volunteer? Once registered with us, we will keep you up to date with various things that will be going on in preparation for WMOF. These are all optional. However, there will be two events in July and August that we recommend everyone to attend. The dates for these will be finalised closer to the time. These events will help you enormously because you will get to meet the other volunteers, get more specific information on what you will be doing etc.
I can only come for part of the week, can I still participate? Yes, you can come! You are welcome to come at any time as each day will have activities organised both for volunteers and anyone else who wishes to join even if it is just watching a movie in the evening or zip lining!
Will it be possible to volunteer with my friends? We are hoping to facilitate as much as possible that you can volunteer with your friends during the week of the event. We will be given different areas to volunteer in and specific numbers of people to volunteer in each area, so we will try to ensure that you are not on your own but with others that you know.
How much is it? Volunteering is free. Accommodation/Food/Activities for the whole week is 90 Euro.
I don’t know anyone else, is that Ok? That is no problem! There will tons of opportunities to meet other volunteers leading up the event. We will let you know when these are on. Everyone who has participated with us in these events in the past have had great experiences of meeting new people and really enjoying themselves.
What do I need to bring for the week? So far, a sleeping bag, towel and the basic necessities. But we will give you further information.
I have dietary requirements. No problem! There will be food specifically for those who have dietary requirements.