Volunteering in Tyrol: Awards for outstanding commitment!

Volunteering in Tyrol: Awards for outstanding commitment!

In an impressive ceremony on Wednesday evening in the Vienna Sofiensele, outstanding voluntary services were recognized in Austria. A special prize, an award from the Federal Chancellery and the Ministry of Social Affairs, was awarded to the Association for the Promotion of Voluntary Social Services. Particularly noteworthy is the first place in the "Young Commitment" category, which went to the Tirol Mitte volunteer center for its "Be the Change" initiative. The “Moving more” project of the Tyrolean Disabled Sports Association was also able to distinguish itself with second place in the inclusion category, as Tirol.orf.at reports.

appreciation for voluntary commitment

A specialist jury had carefully checked around 200 entries and rewarded the best three projects in the respective categories with prize money of up to 5,000 euros. Minister of Social Affairs Johannes Rauch (Greens) emphasized that this state award was a sign of appreciation for the extraordinary commitment of the volunteers. "Almost half of all people in Austria are committed to volunteering and contributes to the fact that our coexistence works," added State Secretary Claudia Plakolm (ÖVP). Tirol's governor Anton Mattle also emphasized the performance of the volunteers and called on to win more volunteers.

In Tyrol, eleven volunteer centers have already established themselves that support potential helpers and respond to their individual needs. These centers offer flexible options for volunteering and enable the volunteers to work both in the team and individually. Finally, the accident and liability insurance that has existed since 2016, which volunteers are secured during their work. This special occasion fell on the international day of the volunteers, which also underlined the importance of voluntary commitment.