This week is National Volunteering Week which means it's the best time of year for the people at Volunteer Ireland.
This is the week where we celebrate everything about volunteering – we share stories of people who volunteer, we ask new people to volunteer and we say thank you to everyone that helps out!
You might not realise it, but volunteering happens all around us every day. Over ONE MILLION people in Ireland volunteer which is just under a quarter of the whole country. Volunteering can be anything from doing the shopping for a neighbour who can’t leave the house, picking up litter on your street or doing bag packs for a charity in your local supermarket.
This year volunteering has been even more important this year with so many extra people needing help during COVID-19. Lots of people helped out in their communities in different ways especially checking in on people who live alone for a friendly chat. Sometimes a chat and a smile are the most important parts of volunteering.
Lots of young people helped out too. They helped with clean ups in their estate. They wrote letters and drew pictures for people who live in nursing homes and couldn’t have visitors. They helped pick out clothes and toys to be sent to other children who needed them.
We are so lucky in Ireland to have so many people who volunteer. Next time you’re out, look around and see if you can spot someone giving a hand! Or maybe lend a hand yourself if you can!
If you or any of your family want to get involved with volunteering you can find all the Volunteer Centres HERE
There is so much great work being done by people and for people all the time, so this week it's really good to say thanks to all the people who help make their communities better.
You can make it official by nominating someone or a group in your area for a Volunteer Ireland Award.
