How easy is it to make friends?

With volunteers, residents, and staff members coming from all over the world, opportunities to meet people and build friendships arise naturally throughout the volunteering experience.

How easy it feels to make friends will ultimately depend on the individual, their personality, and the hostel they are based in. Some hostels have very active social communities where people regularly spend time together, while others may be quieter. However, across LHA, we generally find that people are friendly, welcoming, and open to connecting with others.

Volunteers often build friendships not only with fellow volunteers, but also with residents and staff members. Shared accommodation, communal spaces, volunteering duties, meals, and social events all create opportunities to get to know people from different backgrounds and cultures.

At the same time, we strongly believe in respecting personal boundaries. While we encourage positive social interactions and community spirit, nobody should ever feel pressured to socialise more than they are comfortable with. If at any point a situation or interaction makes you feel uncomfortable, the hostel team is here to support you and can step in where appropriate.

Many volunteers arrive knowing nobody and leave with lifelong friendships, but whether you are highly social or prefer your own space, we aim to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and respected.