About Our Volunteer Community

Acquaint is a worldwide volunteer community. People show up two ways: for an hour-long, audio-only conversation with another volunteer somewhere in the world, or for a walk with neighbors in their area. Either way, the practice is the same — slow down with someone, let go of productivity for a bit, explore someone else's world.

We started this in 2021. Volunteers have since logged 35,000+ hours of conversation across 110+ countries, with no reported incidents of hate or harassment. The community spans teenagers to ninety-somethings, every background, every part of the world.

Whether you're new to this kind of thing or have been doing it for years, you're welcome here.

What we do

We run two main programs:

Global Conversations

Audio-only, one-on-one, about an hour. Acquaint pairs you with another volunteer somewhere in the world. No agenda. Nothing to prove.

Acquaint Walks

In-person walks with neighbors, paired up. About 30 minutes. Starting in King County, Washington, growing out from there.

Both programs are volunteer on both sides — no facilitators, no paid hosts, no curriculum.

We also partner with corporations, schools, nonprofits, and community groups who want to bring the practice to their people. We bring the infrastructure; partners bring their community.

Locations Acquaint volunteers have joined from

What we believe — and how we operate

Acquaint is built on four values: Curiosity · Equality · Appreciation · Non-judgement. They're not decoration. Each shows up directly in how the program is designed.

See how

Curiosity → random pairing; audio-only, by design
Equality → volunteer on both sides, no facilitator
Appreciation → optional notes after every conversation
Non-judgement → strict lines on harm, wide latitude on difference

The posture we ask of volunteers

The setup creates half the conditions for connection. The other half is how you show up as a volunteer. None of us can force ourselves to want to help — but you can keep showing up with some wish to make a good connection, and that wish tends to grow the more you do it. People come for all kinds of reasons, and that's fine. We just ask that part of it is wanting to do some good for the person you're talking to, not only to get something back yourself. Then we ask three things.

Curiosity Be interested in who the other person actually is — not in evaluating them or convincing them.

Ask about the story behind a belief, not the belief itself.
Let yourself be surprised. Follow the thread you weren't expecting.
Treat the person as more than their position.

Appreciation Notice what's worth appreciating in the person you're talking to. It's the fuel that keeps curiosity going.

You have to do it on purpose, not just hope it shows up.

Look for a phrase, a way of thinking, a piece of someone's story you didn't expect.
Let the noticing happen in real time, not as a wrap-up exercise.
You can tell them or not. The work is the noticing.

Non-judgement Wide latitude inside strict limits.

Hate and harassment have hard rules. Everything else has wide room.
Listen to views you find difficult without jumping in to correct them.
You don't have to agree with someone to connect with them.

"Through Acquaint, I have learnt about the world in ways that go beyond textbooks or media. This understanding has not only broadened my perspective but has also helped me approach people with more empathy and openness. I have realised that I can talk to anyone, from anywhere in the world, and create a profound connection."

- Jahleel, Nigeria

Our History

Before Acquaint was founded in 2021, its predecessor was an intergenerational program focused on connecting younger and older people to address the effects of isolation during the pandemic. It recruited younger "volunteers" to connect with "participants" living in care homes.

Co-founders Katherine Mahon and Alex Szebenyi noticed a problem: dividing people into two groups created an othering effect. The solution: make everyone a volunteer and put the focus on human connection, not one group serving another.

Within five years, volunteers have joined from more than 110 countries. We retain our roots as an intergenerational program, with volunteers ranging from teenagers to ninety-somethings. The exchange of ideas, wisdom, and life experiences is integral to every volunteer's journey with Acquaint.