The celebration of volunteers continues around the world! While the U.S. celebrated National Volunteer Week in April, May 11-17 volunteers will be honored and given even more opportunities to do good in Ireland and Australia.
In Ireland, National Volunteering Week is organized by Volunteer Ireland and supported by the Salesforce Foundation. There are over 3,000 volunteering opportunities currently available on I-VOL, the Irish national database of volunteering. In 2013 nearly 15,000 volunteers registered through I-VOL and local Volunteer Centers across Ireland.
According to Volunteering Australia, more than 6 million (36%) of the adult population volunteers in Australia. In fact, just off the southern coast of the continent, volunteering is Tasmania’s largest industry. United Way Ballarat celebrates Australia’s National Volunteer Week every year. The week kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony; continues with a week-long non-profit expo so volunteers can learn how to get involved in their favorite causes; and wraps up with the Volunteer Recognition Awards. You can learn more about United Way’s volunteer engagement in Australia here.
The rallying cry for volunteer week in Australia is “Give Happy. Live Happy.” In Ireland, the theme is “We have the cause. You have the effect.” In nearly 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories, United Way calls citizens to “Live United.” No matter where you live or how you say it, your action matters. Lending a helping hand is cause for celebration every day, around the world.