MADRID — Five NYU Madrid students have been devoting a couple of hours each week to volunteer for Bokatas, a Madrid-based nonprofit organization funded by Caritas Parish Vicar Caritas I and Universidad Pontificia de Comillas.
The NYU volunteers are among the more than one hundred volunteers in the program, with locations in three Madrid offices.
The Bokatas volunteers help the homeless and the socially excluded. They provide these individuals with food, beverages and blankets as well as support and company. The main objective of the organization is to show these individuals that society has not forgotten them.
Through the volunteer work, students create a bond with the homeless of Madrid. Volunteers offer bocata sandwiches to individuals, which opens up conversation and leads to the exchange of personal stories.
The closest Bokatas headquarters to NYU Madrid is located down the street at the Church in Plaza de los Sagrados Corazones. At this location, students meet up on Mondays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. They spend the first hour making several types of bocadillos, or bocatas for short. Bocadillos are sandwiches made from baguettes and different types of meats and cheeses. A very typical and traditional Spanish bocadillo is “tortilla de patatas,” which is an egg and potato omelette. They also make coffee and pack snacks such as cookies and crackers.
Depending on the number of volunteers present during the night, they split themselves up into groups of two or three. Each group takes a specific, predetermined route through the city. If cars are available, they drive; otherwise, they resort to public transportation or walking.
The routes and the homeless individuals who receive the deliveries. This consistency helps ensure the development of personal relations and the well-being of the homeless.
By volunteering and personally aquainting themselves with this vulnerable segment of the population in Madrid, students also become acquainted with many local Spaniards.
NYU Madrid student and Stern junior Jonathon Louie said working with Spaniards is different than working with New Yorkers.
“Although it is impossible to generalize, I’d say for the most part that Spaniards are very friendly,” Louie said. “They prioritize introductions and establish a level of comfort for everyone.”
“I’ve noticed that the homeless people are very different here in Spain than in New York City,” Louie added. “The homeless here are normal everyday people but … lost their jobs and were evicted from their homes.”
Students also work alongside local Spanish students, which gives them opportunities to further practice the language and delve deeper into the culture.
Academic coordinator for NYU Madrid, Allison Rohe, contacted Bokatas over the summer to figure out an agreement for students to volunteer. Rohe encouraged students to participate in extracurricular activities while studying abroad.
“It is important for students to take an active role while studying abroad here in Madrid,” Rohe said. “Learning should not end in the classroom.”
“Getting involved in our local society is not only mutually rewarding for both the volunteer and the beneficiary, but it is also an excellent way for students to form part of the local community,” Rohe added. “Students experience true Madrid and Spanish culture, that which cannot be taught in a classroom.”
A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Nov. 26 print edition. Natasha Babazadeh is a foreign correspondent. Email her at [email protected].
