The focus: 800 helpers forged 100,000 hours for a good cause!

The focus: 800 helpers forged 100,000 hours for a good cause!

Österreich - worldwide and especially in Austria, the importance of the volunteer on December 5, the International Day of Volunteering, is emphasized. Aid organizations such as the vinzwerke illustrate how important volunteers are for their work. Nicola Baloch, Managing Director of the Vinzwerke, emphasized: "We could only operate none of our facilities for a week without our volunteers." In 2024, 800 volunteers spent over 100,000 hours for needs -oriented projects, as the Vinzenzgemeinschaft announced. But despite the high commitment, there are also challenges: the available hours of helping decrease, since personal obligations such as the care of relatives increase. To counteract this, open and empathetic volunteers are required.

volunteering global

The United Nations volunteer program (UNV) underlines the global dimension of volunteering. Every year, over 6,500 volunteers who are active in 130 countries are sent. The UNV focuses on the three central pillars of work: peace, development and humanitarian support. It should be emphasized that 83 percent of the UN volunteers come from the global south, 45 percent are women and 29 percent are younger than 29. These volunteers actively campaign for the goals of sustainable development and promote global recognition of volunteer work. The use of over 12,500 online volunteers also strengthens the digital dimension of this mission, as the UN explains in detail.

With around 3.8 million people who volunteer in Austria and more than 470 million working hours in the non -profit sector, as a study by Statistics Austria shows, the immense support becomes clear such initiatives. These services show how diverse and necessary voluntary work is to overcome social challenges and strengthen your own community. Initiatives such as the “Malala” project were launched in particular to help women with a migration background to overcome language barriers and to establish social contacts.