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Quake Volunteers Show the Spirit
Quake Volunteers Show the Spirit of International Volunteer Day
The theme for International Volunteer Day 2016 (5 December) is ‘Together we can’.
This day acknowledges and recognises the power that working together in our communities has and is especially relevant for us following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 14th of November in Kaikoura and surrounding areas.
"International Volunteer Day is a day to recognise all that volunteers do in our communities, and the response to the recent Kaikoura earthquake is an example that brings New Zealand’s considerable volunteer effort into plain sight” says VNZ Chief Executive, Scott Miller.
The mobilization of volunteers was exemplified by groups like the Red Cross delivering food parcels and relief and the Takahanga Marae who distributed more than 6,000 meals. There are also many volunteers that contribute with their own motivations, without a formal organisation giving them direction, such as the volunteers rescuing and relocating paua after the quake raised the seabed by 1.5m in places. These and many other community members engage their time and resources to help out of their own accord.
“This earthquake has shown the spirit of what it
is to be a volunteer: to engage and contribute to make our
societies and communities a better place to live” says
Miller.
The international aspect to the day is also a
reminder that New Zealand’s 1.2m volunteers are part of an
international workforce of one billion people volunteering
around the world; all giving their time and skills to
improve communities, save lives, fix things that are broken,
and bring people together.
Help us celebrate on the 5th of December 2016 so that together we can join in the global applause for volunteers’ efforts locally, nationally and internationally.
Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) is an
association of national volunteer-involving organisations
that have a commitment to volunteering. Their mission is to
maximise the impact of volunteering in our communities. www.volunteeringnz.org.nz
Volunteering New Zealand
Leaders of Volunteering
Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) is an association of New Zealand organisations that have a commitment to volunteering, such as volunteer centres, national and other organisations.
Volunteering New Zealand's mission is to promote, support and advocate for volunteering.
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