It all began with the initiative of Rector Martin Bareš, who, in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic, encouraged the academic community to get involved in meeting the challenges posed by the emergency.
In 2020, the Centre´s work was thus primarily concerned with the Covid-19 outbreak. The Centre coordinated the deployment of volunteers, for work in hospitals, emergency lines, and homes for the elderly or other non-profit organisations. It also provided babysitting and tutoring services for children, especially those of healthcare workers, getting groceries, picking up medications and distributing facemasks. A public fundraising drive announced by MU raised nearly CZK 2.5 million in support of the volunteers.
In 2021, MUNI HELPS volunteers continued to work at testing centres and later at vaccination sites. They also helped in social and health facilities and assisted children with online learning. The Centre developed a mobile app to facilitate giving and receiving help and to increase transparency.
Barbora Hauserová was the main coordinator of all activities in the early years of the Centre. “It was a very intense period, so it is actually difficult for me to look back on those times. But I am proud of the fact that we were able to create an environment that allowed students and the public – everyone who had a strong motivation to help – to do so in a really effective and meaningful way. I still feel a sense of gratitude and respect for all the volunteers. Everything that has been achieved, everything that MUNI HELPS has become, is clearly due to them,” reflected Barbora Hauserová, who received the MU Bronze Medal in 2021 for her contributions related to the organisation of the Centre´s volunteers.
Then came more challenges. In June 2021, a massive tornado truck villages near Břeclav and Hodonín in South Moravia, and in February 2022, war broke out in Ukraine. MUNI HELPS continued to aid people in need, especially those who had lost their homes.
Following a natural disaster – in the form of a devastating tornado in southern Moravia – volunteers on the ground not only provided manual labour to clear debris, but also took part in babysitting. They also offered their expertise in areas such as legal, financial and IT advice. A fundraising campaign was launched on behalf of MUNI HELPS, which raised more than CZK 1 million for the affected areas. The money was handed over to representatives of the Hrušky community by the Centre's staff accompanied by MU Rector Martin Bareš for the reconstruction of the local primary school.
MUNI HELPS volunteers also played a key role in the Regional Assistance Centre for Ukraine (KACPU) as interpreters and local organisational assistants, as well as staffing the emergency psychological helpline.
“These events have shown that our volunteers can adapt well to new situations, and we are able to attract new people who ask to join and offer their help after such events,” said Daniela Vonbauer, coordinator at the Volunteer Center. Her words have been confirmed by the use of volunteers to help repair the damage caused by last year's floods in northern Moravia.
MUNI HELPS also introduced other activities: the Klubík offering tutoring for primary school children, including those with a different mother tongue than Czech or from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, and the now traditional holiday activity, the Summer Tutoring School. For the last three years, the Centre has been working with the Hnutí Brontosaurus non-profit organisation, connecting volunteers with each other, collaborating on events and starting new projects. It also engages with volunteers directly, hosting regular Chat with Volunteers and Meet MUNI HELPS events.
“At MUNI HELPS we strive to make volunteering a part of university life, an experience that young people will carry with them throughout their lives and help build a strong civil society,” added Daniela Vonbauer.
The Volunteer Centre has won several awards for its activities, including the prestigious European Citizen´s Prize 2020 awarded by the European Parliament. At present, MUNI HELPS is an integral part of the structure and activities of Masaryk University. It is entering its sixth year and Barbora Hauserová praises its initiative. “I follow all MUNI HELPS activities with pleasure, I find them very meaningful, especially Klubík and the Summer Tutoring School. The current team deserves a lot of credit, they are the ones who have been working for the most part of the five-year history of the Centre and they have proved that the centre can be helpful both in emergencies and in long-term, systematic work.”