Volunteering,
out of principles and a desire to serve, is an expression of life itself.
Volunteers give what they have, they give themselves (their time, abilities
and efforts), in an organized and coordinated way, for the benefit of
the rest, of the other, of the neighbor, especially of the disadvantaged.
Volunteers must seek solidarity out of complete selflessness. (F. Salinas)
Some key characteristics expand on this theme:
- The concept
of compensation: While volunteering always contains an element of
exchange and reciprocity, a key distinction between volunteerism and
gainful employment exists: the volunteer is not motivated by financial
gain and the value of work done should be greater than all reimbursement
received.
- The nature
of the beneficiary: The difference between volunteering and engaging
in a voluntary recreational activity is that the volunteer is not
the primary intended beneficiary.
- Free will:
Millions of people engage in community service, freely deciding to
dedicate part of their time, that is to say, their lives, to improve
the situation of the less fortunate. It is, at the least, a great
testimony to the value of selflessness, an uplifting phenomenon in
a sometimes extremely individualistic world. (Charity and Volunteerism
in the Third Millennium).
- We need
volunteers in the United States and Peru. In Peru, we place volunteers
in areas ranging from construction and education to health care and
fund-raising for a time period of 1 month to 2 years. A working knowledge
of Spanish is preferred.
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