This help may be in the form of different tools, such as volunteers or donations, or helping them to obtain new funding, grants or training. Its mission is to empower and connect these different organizations to promote improvement for whole communities and take a unified approach to local development. Voluntario Global also aims to create a network between volunteers and local organizations, promoting the creation of relationships and creating an exchange of culture and ideas which will help both to grow in different ways.

The organizations are the main pillars of Voluntario Global, Voluntario Global is the organizations with which it works. These local organizations determine Voluntario Global’s objectives and the type of volunteer which it searches for. Put simply, Voluntario Global could not exist without the organizations, it works for their development and growth.

The coordinators also play a vital part in the running of Voluntario Global. The team of coordinators is small and each has a specific role in order to keep the organization moving forward. Jesica oversees finding the volunteers, interviewing them and sending them to the most appropriate project. Milena works with the volunteers from their arrival in Buenos Aires, throughout their volunteer journey. She ensures that volunteers adapt and integrate into life in the city, helping them with any problems or culture shock that they may come across. Nadia’s role allows Voluntario Global to sustain economically the work that it does, a more administrative role that is vital in allowing Voluntario Global to continue helping local organizations. Valeria’s role is to be available to the organizations when needed, helping to make them more visible and obtain donations or grants. Valeria also works with the organizations to think of new ways to continue growing and strengthening their work, as well as connecting different organizations with each other.

The donations from volunteers allow Voluntario Global to continue with its work as it does not receive funding from any other source, however they have a much wider role than simply financial aid. The volunteer has a role in making the organizations visible. Many of the people from these communities feel that they are not seen, that nobody pays attention to them, and that their work is not important. When a volunteer joins an organization he or she makes the local people there realize that they are important and that the work that they are doing is vital. As the volunteer becomes integrated into the organization and the community, they take on a more active role offering ideas and exchanging information. Volunteers can use skills they have learnt from their own countries to suggest new ways to help local organizations and offer a new point of view.

As explained above, Voluntario Global helps local communities by being available to discuss anything that local organizations need, providing financial help and volunteers to keep the organizations moving forward, and offering ideas for further change and development. By getting to know the local people at the organization where they volunteer, the volunteers become integrated and involved in these communities. They create bonds and form relationships. The volunteers bring life to the local organizations and their communities, breaking a monotonous routine with their energy and interest.

The people at Voluntario Global would define themselves as community builders. A community builder is someone who, instead of offering provisional help, gets to know a community and its people, its characteristics and its strengths. A community builder supports a neighbourhood and the individuals, discovering what is strong about them and helping to work towards improvement, development and growth. The people of Voluntario Global call themselves community builders because they work alongside local organizations as they develop and grow, putting emphasis on the fact that no person is more nor less important than another and that we are all equals working together. Volunteers, coordinators and organizations connect and unite to achieve a common goal in local development.