It was great to recognise the great work volunteers are doing in the ‘National Volunteer Week’ in June. As volunteers are so important for a community, it is important to put volunteers in the spotlight. The theme of the National Volunteer Week was: “Live, Laugh, Share – Volunteer” or “Kia ringa hora: Me mahi tūao.”
But how much do volunteers contribute?
Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Alfred Ngaro highlighted just how much volunteers contribute at our Volunteer celebration breakfast, “On average, there are just over 400,000 kiwis volunteering every week for a charity, adding up to over 1.5 million hours contributed to our communities.” Mr Ngaro continued, “Volunteers were involved in many sectors “from sports, recreation, arts, culture and heritage to emergency and social services, health, education, conservation and the environment.”
What you put out is what you get back
“The good feeling though helping others”, is what drives Aileen Harwood, 17, to offer her volunteering skills to the Bay community. The Aquinas College student spoke about her young volunteering group, the AC Army that was set up last year at her school, together with her teacher Mikaere Smith, inspired by the student army which helped after the Christchurch earthquakes.
The group has been involved in supporting other children at Merivale School, they helped with the Bay of Plenty Times foodbank street collection, as well as in young-volunteering projects in Tauranga.
Volunteering Bay of Plenty refers volunteers to local non-profit organisations, assists organisations with their volunteer programme and promotes volunteering in the Bay in general. For more information please contact us on: 07 571 3714.
Volunteering Bay of Plenty contact person: Theo Ursum, General Manager
Email: manager@volbop.org.nz , phone 07 5713714
I write for Bay Waka because it is a great way to promote the benefits of volunteering.
