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Community and Voluntary Sector,
Volunteer Awareness Week (17 — 23 June 2007) is a time to celebrate and thank our many thousands of volunteers for the wonderful work they do in our communities, says Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Luamanuvao Winnie Laban.
"The generous act of volunteering enriches our unique identity as kiwis. Volunteering also creates huge economic, cultural and social benefits for our country," said Laban.
"Volunteer Awareness Week 2007 is our chance to promote the diversity, value and rewarding nature of volunteering.
"Over one million New Zealanders are actively involved in formal or informal voluntary work within their communities each year, putting in millions of hours of unpaid work.
"New Zealand has more than 9,000 volunteer fire fighters, 6,000 St John volunteers, 3,000 volunteer community patrollers, 3,500 volunteer surf life savers, 26,615 New Zealand Red Cross volunteers, and almost half a million kiwis are sports volunteers.
"In addition to this, Citizens Advice Bureaux volunteers gave a total of 486,156 hours in 2005 to help people with all sorts of queries.
"The great thing about Volunteer Awareness Week is that it provides an opportunity for first-timers to give volunteering a go — whether it be in their communities, in sport, the arts, civil defence, health, emergency services, visiting the elderly, helping out at the local school or simply giving their neighbour a hand on the weekend.
"This Labour-led government is committed to building strong, sustainable and connected communities. That is why this government continues to put time, energy and resources into supporting volunteers and promoting a spirit of volunteerism," said Laban.
ENDS
For more information about activities taking place during volunteer awareness week visit www.volunteeringnz.org.nz.
Media release: 17 June 2007.