Supporting the GOCC from Abroad: the International Collection Center Village

Even though there’s still plenty of time left until the 28th Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Finale, International Collection Centers are not slowing down at all! In true rock’n’roll fashion, they rolled up to Pol’and’Rock Festival, set up camp, and are inviting everyone for a visit!

During the 27th GOCC Finale in January, a whopping 86 collection centers were celebrating their own Finales and collecting money for our shared cause outside of Poland. Many of them have been living abroad for years, some even decades. And yet, they decided to spend their free time supporting our foundation’s cause and engage local expat Poles in organizing their own charity events. And almost half of them has decided to join us at Pol’and’Rock Festival this year!

They flew, drove, rode bikes, and walked hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometers, but they are now here with us—150 people from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, Croatia, the UK, and even from the United States!

Why did they travel from so far away to join us in Kostrzyn?

“I came here to join in this incredible atmosphere of love, of togetherness, of pure joy! I wanted to meet friends I hadn’t seen in years, to meet other GOCC Collection Center teams and exchange learnings and ideas with them... And, of course, for the music! To me, it seems like every year, this festival only gets better and better!” - Lidia, Berlin (Germany)

“I’m pleasantly surprised with how friendly and open everyone is. We arrived with two children, aged 5 and 11. I was worried about going on such a long trip with these youngsters, but I now know that I needn’t have worried! Both the kids and us adults are very happy here—the vibe, the people, the level of security and care on the organizers’ side, the workshops... Everything!” - Monika, Redditch (UK)

The International Collection Center Village is located atop the AFA hill, between the big tent and the road leading to the Krishna Peace Village. It is surrounded with flags from all over the world, so you will not miss it!

These folks have plenty of plans for this year’s Pol’and’Rock Festival. They are here to have fun and enjoy all the music, workshops, entertainment, and positive energy the festival has to offer. But they are also here to show everyone who is willing to listen what they do—how they organize GOCC Finales abroad, and how anyone living near them can join in their work!

They will also talk about their work with the Polish artists that they have invited to their Village for informal meet & greets. They will be visited by Jelonek, Uliczny Opryszek, Łydka Grubasa, Majka Jeżowska, Karolina Czarnecka, and others. You can also attend these meet & greets if you visit the International Collection Center Village at the right time!

Do you run your own GOCC Collection Center? Are you a GOCC volunteer who wants to connect to others internationally? Do you live abroad and would like to volunteer at the next Finale? Do you want to meet people with hearts of gold who want to donate their time to a shared cause of good? Then come visit the International Collection Center Village on the AFA hill!

And as a reminder: the 28th Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Finale will take place on January 12th 2020 in Warsaw, but many of our international Finales will be held on Saturday the 11th!