Last week, employees of the Institute for Youth Development KULT dedicated a work day to volunteering. For the third consecutive year, the Institute organized a week of corporate volunteering to support those in need and celebrate International Volunteer Day.
International Volunteer Day, celebrated annually on December 5, highlights the importance of volunteering in the development of society and community and in achieving sustainable development goals.
In 2023, International Volunteer Day celebrates the power of everyone under the slogan “If everyone did…”. If everyone participated and volunteered, the world would be a better place. Imagine more than eight billion people on the planet volunteering. Volunteering is a huge renewable resource for solving social, economic, and environmental problems around the world. As the world faces growing challenges each year, volunteers often emerge as silent heroes, essential to building empathetic, supportive, healthy, and successful communities.
“If everyone did… at the Institute” was the title and motto of an activity which was joined by over 30 employees of the Institute for Youth Development KULT. Our staff donated their time, resources, knowledge and experience and donated a record 120 hours to the community by volunteering in organizations and institutions that provide care for vulnerable people. We helped prepare and distribute meals in the Merhamet soup kitchen, took part in work-occupational therapy in retirement homes Vitalis, Sentivo and Center for Healthy Aging Ilidža, we made New Year’s decorations and Christmas cookies, and our offices filled with happiness and gratitude.
Our employees are well aware of the importance of volunteering and said that this experience was full of emotion and opportunities for reflection and gratitude. Corporate Volunteering Week provided our team with an opportunity to demonstrate responsibility towards the community and our commitment to continuous growth.
The smiles on the faces of those we supported and the happiness we shared with them are among the reasons why the Institute plans to continue promoting volunteering. Small steps taken by our employees create significant changes for a better society, proving that a little effort can really mean a lot.
Corporate volunteering, which the Institute has been doing for years, is a type of social engagement that is planned, organized, and executed by employees and approved, encouraged, and financially supported by the management of their company. During corporate volunteering, employees spend a workday volunteering or doing something beneficial to society, and employers treat these days as any other workday without deducting pay or the number of days off for each employee.
You can find the photo album HERE.
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