Volunteering
In general, the term volunteering (from the English volunteer) refers to the willing provision of services without the incentive of material reward, for the benefit of society.
Volunteering is not obligatory; it is based on the free and voluntary participation of active citizens.
Volunteer
A volunteer is also defined as someone who contributes material goods in situations where these are deemed necessary to meet human needs, without expecting any return.
The goal of a volunteer is to help improve the social, economic, environmental, athletic, educational, and other fundamental needs of a community.
To achieve this goal, the volunteer or the volunteer group implements preventive measures and may even act under the directives of official authorities to address or suppress an incident or problem that threatens human life, such as natural disasters.
Volunteer Teams - Organisations
There are hundreds of national volunteer groups in every corner of Greece. At the same time, an increasing number of international volunteer organizations collaborate with our country, seeking volunteers from across the EU and the world. Together, they share one common goal: to enhance the cultural and spiritual development of societies.
In Greece, a Registry of Volunteer Organizations is maintained by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection (GSCP). The GSCP is the national authority responsible for registering Volunteer Organizations and Specialized Volunteers. These organizations and individuals form part of the civil protection workforce, supporting actions of prevention, response, and recovery in disaster situations.
Eligible for registration in the Registry are non-profit legal entities, associations of individuals, and volunteer groups operating within Local Government Organizations, provided that their statutes or proven recent activities demonstrate their involvement in civil protection.
“World Volunteer Day”
December 5th was designated as the International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development in 1985 by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly.
Its purpose is to honor the millions of volunteers devoted to serving humanity, often at the risk of their own lives.
The O.A.K. Messinia is officially registered in the Registry of Volunteer Organizations of the General Secretariat for Civil Protection of Greece and has been assigned the Registry Number 0057-00-24.