How to become a PFR Volunteer - Complete Guide

You don't have money to donate. You don't have goods to offer. But you have something just as valuable: time, presence, and the desire to do something that matters.

At Prison Fellowship Romania Foundation, approximately 300-400 active volunteers make everything you see in our programs possible. Without them, there would be no Christmas gifts for children with incarcerated parents. There would be no warm meals for the homeless. There would be no one to tell an inmate: "You can be more than your mistake."

Volunteering at PFR isn't about your CV. It's about people. And anyone can start.

Why volunteering matters

PFR programs support over 20,000 vulnerable people every year. This figure is not possible with just the employee team, about 26 people. The difference is made by approximately 150-200 active volunteers in prisons and another approximately 200 in communities.

Volunteering is not a symbolic gesture. It is the invisible infrastructure that makes programs work. Every volunteer who sorts clothes in the social store, who cooks in the soup kitchen, or who spends an hour helping a child with homework is a part of the system.

Types of volunteering at PFR

1. Prison Volunteering

This is the core of PFR's activity. Volunteers enter the 34 partner prisons and facilitate rehabilitation programs: group discussions, educational workshops, counseling, artistic activities. The Inmate's Journey program, implemented nationwide since 2023, is largely facilitated by volunteers.

What it involves:

·        Regular visits to the prison (usually weekly or bi-weekly)

·        Facilitating discussions on topics of responsibility, forgiveness, personal development

·        Providing material support (clothes, food, hygiene products)

Requirements: No criminal record, minimum age 18, agreement with ANP regulations. PFR provides training before the first visit.

2. Volunteering at the Hope Kitchen

The soup kitchen serves over 450 warm meals daily.

What it involves:

·        Food preparation and cooking

·        Serving meals

·        Cleaning and organizing

·        Interacting with beneficiaries

Requirements: Availability for regular shifts. No culinary experience required; training provided on-site.

3. Volunteering at the Social Store

The Social Store in Expo Transilvania, Cluj-Napoca, operates with the support of volunteers who sort, label, and arrange donated products.

What it involves:

·        Sorting and checking received products (furniture, clothes, toys, school supplies)

·        Labeling and arranging on shelves

·        Sales and customer relations

·        Managing goods donations

Requirements: Regular availability, attention to detail. It's a practical experience with immediately visible results.

4. Volunteering in beneficiary communities

PFR works in 24 communities, where it distributes goods, organizes activities for children, and offers support to vulnerable families. Volunteers participate in distribution actions, community events, and educational programs.

What it involves:

·        Participation in distribution actions (food, clothes, school supplies)

·        Logistical support in seasonal campaigns (Back-to-school, Christmas, Easter)

Requirements: Occasional or regular availability, depending on the campaign.

5. Volunteering at events and campaigns

Can't volunteer regularly? You can participate in seasonal events: distributing Christmas gifts through the Angel Network, the school supplies campaign in September, Easter packages, and June 1st events.

What it involves:

·        Preparing and packaging parcels

·        Distribution in communities

·        Logistical organization

Requirements: Punctual availability (a few days a year). Ideal for those who want to try volunteering without a long-term commitment.

How to sign up - step by step

Step 1: Contact the PFR team

Send an email to office@pfr.ro or fill out the form on the website. Mention what type of volunteering interests you and your availability.

Step 2: Introductory meeting

The coordination team will invite you to an in-person or online discussion. You will learn more about the programs, ask questions, and the team will understand the best fit.

Step 3: Initial training

Before your first activity, you will participate in a training session. The content varies depending on the chosen program; volunteering in prisons requires more extensive training than volunteering at the store or soup kitchen.

Step 4: First activity

You will be accompanied by an experienced volunteer or a coordinator. You won't be left alone from the start.

Step 5: Integration and continuity

After the first activities, you establish a rhythm that works for you. You receive feedback, participate in volunteer team meetings, and become part of the community.

What you gain as a volunteer

Volunteering at PFR is not one-sided. Volunteers receive:

·        Direct experience - you work with real people in real situations

·        Professional training - communication, facilitation, counseling courses

·        Community - you become part of a team of people with common values

·        Perspective - you see the world through the eyes of those who have the least

·        Volunteer certificate - recognized by universities and employers

·        Satisfaction - you see the impact of your work directly, not through reports

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be from Cluj-Napoca?
No. PFR has activities in 15+ counties and 34 prisons nationwide. Write to us at office@pfr.ro and we will connect you with the team in your area.

Do I need experience?
No. PFR provides training for each type of volunteering. The only requirements are the desire to get involved and availability.

How long does the commitment last?
Volunteering at events can be a few hours a year. Volunteering at the soup kitchen or store - a few hours a week.

Can I volunteer as a company?
Yes. PFR organizes corporate volunteering programs, with teams participating in sorting in the store, community distributions, or preparing Christmas packages. Contact the team at office@pfr.ro.

I am under 18. Can I volunteer?
Yes, in certain programs, event volunteering, store sorting, community activities. Prison volunteering requires a minimum age of 18.

Start now

You don't need special skills. You don't need experience. You just need the desire to be present where it matters.

The solution to a community's problems is found within the community itself. You are part of that community.

·        Write to us: office@pfr.ro

·        Call us: contact the PFR team

·        Visit us: at the headquarters in Cluj-Napoca or at the Social Store in Expo Transilvania