The concept of volunteering and its importance

A- The concept of volunteering

“Freely you have received; freely give” Matthew10:8

Institutions and states are based on three types of human resources: total devotion, volunteer for a cause and recruitment.

Thus, the importance of volunteering is widely recognised among states, institutions and human service organisations. It is the commitment of time and energy by the volunteer for the benefit of the society and the community. It is undertaken freely and by choice, without concern for financial gain. People volunteer for a wide variety of reasons, because they feel a moral responsibility to support a certain cause or to offer themselves to serve the community. They choose to volunteer to develop skills, gain experience or meet new people.

 There are three main characteristics to volunteering :

1- Volunteer work is unpaid. While volunteers should not normally receive or expect financial rewards for their activities, they can be reimbursed for reasonable out of pocket expenses.

2-All volunteering is undertaken by choice, and all individuals should have the right to volunteer, or indeed not to volunteer;

3- Public and personal benefit, volunteering is a two way process, it should benefit the community and the volunteer. Furthermore, it is widely recognised that volunteering is also good for the volunteer.

B- The importance of volunteering

1- The importance of volunteering for an individual

*Exchange of experience and skills

*Helping others gives you a self-esteem boost.

*Sense of wellbeing.

*Having the appreciation and recognition of the community.

*Fill your free time.

2- The importance of volunteering for institutions

-Some institutions have a lack of employees/ professionals due to a lack of financial resources.

-Helping entities and institutions to identify the needs of the community and how to address those needs by making the connection between the two.

-Defending and promoting the ideas that are the basis of the association as well as providing support and financial and moral assistance to the association.

3- The importance of volunteering for the community

* Fill the gap in skills that the community is in dire need of; the fact that the volunteer belongs to the same community means that he has a global and special vision towards the problems affecting the community and how to face them.

*Develop the spirit of participation in the community.

*Turn private energies into public energies.

*Create social relations between individuals.

*Assist in finding solutions to the problems facing society.

*Having a better stature of the society and promoting the community.

*Bring progress and prosperity to members of the community in the best and the most efficient way.