It is generally accepted that any work should be rewarded. But the wages for work are not always money or tangible values. In the modern world there is a special category of people who are ready to help others without any material benefit, completely voluntarily. These volunteers are called volunteers.
Who are called volunteers
Translated from French, "volunteer" means "volunteer". Representatives of the volunteer movement sincerely believe that performing significant public works and providing assistance to those in need should not be for the sake of material interest, but completely disinterestedly. In fact, a volunteer is a person who performs socially significant work free of charge. The reward for the work of volunteers is the appreciation and gratitude of people.
The main motive in the activities of volunteers is the desire to feel their own significance and usefulness to society. The field of activity of modern volunteers is very wide. They help in the preparation of public actions and in their conduct, disseminate information, and participate in educational programs. Many countries have laws governing volunteering. Many volunteer organizations contribute to fostering social relationships.
The basic principles of volunteering are voluntariness and social activity. Volunteer movements practice a variety of forms of mutual assistance, including the provision of social services to those who truly need them. All types of civic participation of volunteers in the life of their country are aimed at achieving public good.
Volunteer movement as a form of social assistance
Volunteers provide active assistance to those segments of the population who most need participation and social care. Volunteers can often be found in social welfare services, in nursing homes. Institutions for persons with disabilities and orphanages also fall within the scope of volunteers' activities. Volunteers are involved in collecting things for those who were in the disaster zone or were injured after a fire.
This is not to say that in absolutely all cases the work of volunteers is not paid. But more often than not, volunteers work in exchange for gaining experience, knowledge and skills, establishing useful personal contacts. For young people, volunteering often becomes the first step on the path to professional growth and a way to make an informed choice of the future sphere of their main activity.
The volunteer movement trains personnel for public and non-governmental organizations. Volunteers have invaluable experience of social interaction and often have a better command of the situation in their chosen field of activity than any officials. Volunteering contributes to the formation of leaders who are ready to take part in the activities of state and public structures responsible for work in the social sphere.
