The 2009 Survey on Income and Living Conditions indicates that 27,250 persons aged 12 and over, or eight per cent of the total population in this age bracket, are doing some form of voluntary work. This is yet another confirmation that, in spite of all the pressures of modern life, the generosity flame within society is still healthy in this aspect too. May it continue to be so.

Voluntary work falls largely in three broad categories: long term, modestly remunerated positions or tasks in which the volunteer, often a professional or skilled person, may even temporarily give up his/her normal job; short, medium and long term, unpaid positions or commitments; and short term initiatives at home or abroad where volunteers are often self-funding. For instance, experiences which also enable an exchange of cultural and social contact between volunteers and their host nationals.

In Malta’s case, it turns out the largest proportion of those engaged in voluntary work (32 per cent) are doing so through membership organisations. They are followed by groups involved in social work activities (28 per cent) and religious organisations (21 per cent). Forty-six per cent participate actively in the organisation’s activities and a quarter have an administrative role, with the remainder doing supporting tasks.

Statistics also show that 40 per cent of volunteers have been doing such work for more than 10 years and that people doing informal voluntary work are most likely to spend more time doing so.

There seems to be a growing trend in today’s society for an increasing number of people, mainly young members of groups and Church movements, who commit themselves to offer their services on a voluntary basis in the summer months and this is, of course, most welcome. Many such youths – and adults, too – carry out voluntary work abroad while others are involved in the organisation of activities locally, such as working with children in summer schools and also among the elderly.

The most common purpose for doing voluntary work is that people feel it is their moral duty. Then there are those who do voluntary work to meet new people or even for recreation while others do so out of sympathy for the needy. There are other reasons too, like developing and gaining practical experience in the sector one would be engaged in and sharpening one’s leadership and teamwork skills.

Personal development, which is difficult to evaluate, could be one of the greatest benefits of such experiences.

In voluntary work, one generously offers one’s services with spontaneity. For many volunteers, it is primarily a way of being that stems from the heart, from a grateful approach to life and impels one to share with fellow humans the gifts one enjoys. For them, to volunteer means to be motivated and give one’s time or energies to work towards a project or cause that one is interested or believes in and can contribute to.

The spirit of voluntary work should therefore be additionally valued and promoted as one of the different possible forms of noble sharing with others. This coupled with the people’s ever generous financial support to good causes initiatives such as the Community Chest Fund’s annual charity marathon L-Istrina.

Whatever the reason behind voluntary work, it is definitely a precious resource that many organisations and institutions, like, for example, the Church but not only, cannot live without. It is without any doubt an enriching value that should be always appreciated, cultivated and encouraged.

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