Ashley Schepers i Christina Schneider studentice su Sveučilišta Indiana "School of Social Work" koje su u Osijek stigle u sklop programa razmjene studenata PRONI Centra za socijalno podučavanje Osijek.
Evo što nam je Christina napisala o svom boravku u Osijeku.

"Volontiranje u Volonterskom centru Osijek bilo je prekrasno! Svi u centru žrtvovali su veliku količinu vremena i energije kako bi mi osigurali zanimljivo i svrsishodno iskustvo. Još je impresivnije što su ti napori ostvareni u tjednu manifestacije Hrvatska volontira!  što je zahtijevalo organizaciju brojnih volonterskih aktivnosti i koordinaciju velikog broja volontera tijekom tjedna. Unatoč vremenskom ograničenju organizirali su posjete mnogim lokalnim neprofitnim udrugama i institucijama kao što su Dom za starije i nemoćne osobe, Udruga za podršku žrtvama i svjedocima i Osječki centar za inkluziju.
 
Volonterski centar Osijek uspio je prilagoditi raspored mojim osobnim interesima i organizirati susret sa voditeljicom Palijativnog centra Osijek. Saznala sam puno toga o kulturnim i financijskim izazovima stvaranja palijativnog programa u Hrvatskoj kao i o entuzijazmu lokalnih volontera koji prolaze opsežan trening kako bi svoje slobodno vrijeme proveli u redovnim posjetima pacijentima. Budući da voditeljica palijativnog centra blisko surađuje s Ministarstvom zdravstva i socijalne skrbi, dobila sam bolji uvid u stavove hrvatskog zdravstva prema palijativnoj njezi.
        
Iako sam uživala u svakom posjetu lokalnim neprofitnim udrugama i institucijama moje najdraže iskustvo vezano je za projekt koji sam odradila vlastitim rukama. Bila sam sretna što sam dobila mogućnost pridružiti se volonterima u bojanju ograde dječjeg vrtića. Ograda se pred mojim očima iz svog prvobitnog zahrđalog stanja pretvarala u šarenu, svježe obojanu ogradu. Razgovarala sam sa brojnim volonterima koji su se prijavili za pomoć oko bojanja ograde. Budući da se ograda nalazi pokraj vrlo prometne pješačke staze, brojni građani su zastajali kako bi popričali sa volonterima – pa tako i sa mnom – i izražavali svoje zadovoljstvo promjenom izgleda ograde. Moje iskustvo u Osijeku pomoglo mi je da bolje razumijem i više cijenim razvoj zajednice." 



Volunteering for Volunteer Center Osijek was amazing! The staff at the center sacrificed a large amount of time and energy to ensure that I had a well-rounded and meaningful experience. Even more impressive is that these efforts were made during a busy time. When I was visiting Osijek, the center was also coordinating activities for Croatia Volunteers! which required Volunteer Center Osijek to organize numerous activities for local volunteers throughout the week. Despite this time constraint, staff from the Volunteer Center arranged meetings with many local non-profits, including a nursing home, support organization for witnesses and victims of crimes, and a housing and social group for mentally challenged individuals.
 
In addition to these opportunities, the Volunteer Center was able to customize my visit based on my academic interests. I expressed an interest in healthcare, and staff at the Center arranged a meeting with the director of a non-profit hospice group. I learned about the cultural and financial challenges of creating a hospice program in Croatia as well as the enthusiasm of local volunteers, who undergo extensive training and commit to regular visits with patients. Because this director was also directly involved with the Ministry of Healthcare, I was able to learn about the Croatian government's attitude towards hospice care.
           
While I enjoyed every educational visit to local non-profit organizations, my most rewarding experience with Volunteer Center Osijek was a hands-on project. I was lucky enough to be able to join local volunteers in painting a kindergarten fence. I was able to see the fence in its initial, rusty state and observe its transformation into a freshly painted and brightly colored fence. I also got to speak with numerous local volunteers who had signed up to help with the painting. Even more, because the fence was bordered by a busy, pedestrian walkway, I watched many local Croatians stop to talk to the volunteers – including me -- and express appreciation for the transformation of the fence. Ultimately, my experience in Osijek has given me a deeper understanding of and appreciation for community development.
Christina Schneider