Kalena McIntyre’s journey into volunteering with Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) started long before her first assignment in the Cook Islands. Her first experience with VSA came as a communications staff member in 2015, where she found herself immersed in the inspiring work of volunteers around the Pacific and beyond. It was during this time that she realised the profound transformation that volunteers undergo when they engage with the local communities. Through interviews with returning volunteers, Kalena saw first-hand how their lives were changed; they returned with a renewed energy, a sense of accomplishment, and stories of the deep connections they formed with the communities that they served.
This powerful experience inspired Kalena to pursue her own volunteer role with VSA one day, and it was an aspiration she shared with her husband, Chris. Their dream finally took shape when Chris successfully applied for a volunteer position in the Cook Islands, and Kalena joined him as an accompanying partner. In November 2024, she began her own assignment with the Cook Islands Child Welfare Association (CICWA), a journey that would lead her to significant personal and professional growth.
Kalena with husband Chris outside the immigration office after receiving their visas.
Kalena’s work with CICWA encompasses a wide variety of tasks. From building a website to upskilling staff in communications, she has immersed herself in the day-to-day operations of the organisation. In addition to her official assignment, Kalena has also taken on roles that she never anticipated, such as applying for grant funding, photographing pēpe at health clinics, and even designing a Cook Islands Māori colouring book. Her passion for the organisation’s history led her to discover that CICWA was founded in 1931, not 1933 as previously thought – a finding that led to a change in the organisation’s logo and sparked plans for a special historical exhibition. This has been one of the most rewarding moments of her volunteer experience so far as she has witnessed how her work was helping the Association connect with its past while planning for it’s future.
The Pacific Islands Monthly article that Kalena found, proving CICWA's founding date of 1931.
While there are plenty of rewards, Kalena says that volunteering has not been without it’s challenges. One of the major hurdles has been working within a limited budget. With no available funds in the organisation for communications activities, Kalena has had to be resourceful in finding ways to achieve her goals. “This has meant I had to quickly learn on the job how to fundraise, seek sponsorship and submit complex grant applications.” Through these efforts, Kalena has ensured that CICWA can afford the tools needed to build a website, improve social media engagement and design promotional material to raise the organisation’s profile. Additionally, Kalena has also tapped into non-profit programs offered by software firms such as Canva and Microsoft, allowing her to create branded content and videos that would otherwise have been out of reach.
A chance meeting with Beryl Anderson, a former VSA volunteer, at the Cook Islands National Council of Women’s Biennial Conference made Kalena reflect on how volunteering can shape one’s life. “It also got me thinking about how the VSA experience must have shaped so many other lives – influenced their career choices, their education pathways and life journeys.” She says that through Beryl’s story, she was reminded to appreciate the opportunities that she has and she was inspired to embrace new challenges.
Kalena (left) with Beryl at the Cook Islands National Council of Women's Biennial Conference.
Kalena’s advice for aspiring volunteers is simple: “Grab that opportunity with both hands. Have faith in yourself.” She believes that the chance to learn on the job is one of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering. Reflecting on her time as both a staff member and a volunteer, Kalena’s experience has shown her that volunteering, while challenging, can profoundly impact both the volunteer and the community that you serve. “Probably the biggest thing I’ve learned is that when you’re volunteering in a country where the population is small, your work has a much bigger impact. You have the ability to leave a profound and measurable difference in your wake. Don’t squander that opportunity.” As she continues her assignment, she remains committed to making a difference at CICWA and to the broader VSA volunteer community.
Kalena and other attendees of a recent conference focused on gender violence, human rights, and consellor training.
If you’d like to keep up with Kalena’s volunteer journey, feel free to follow Kalena and Chris’ blog on Raisely at: https://volunteer-service-abroad.raisely.com/macs-in-raro