How volunteering works

If we want to help through voluntary work we have many fields to choose from. Spain has an important group of volunteers who dedicate their efforts to help those most in need. According to the Yearbook of the Third Sector of Social Action in Spain 2010, almost three out of ten volunteers collaborate in the Spanish Red Cross, the ONCE and Cáritas Spain, but there are many other official bodies where you can help.

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Help is always welcome, but it is better that we choose an area in which our profession can bring more benefits . The lack of professionalization of the volunteer staff is one of the great problems of this group. For example, if our training revolves around health, surely we will do much more in humanitarian assistance actions than in actions of educational volunteering or social integration.

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The most common types of volunteering and some of their thematic areas are: - Social Action Volunteering : they are actions of solidarity within your city or community, with a more local scope. Social action ranges from initiatives to promote the care of the environment, to helping dependent people. - Volunteering for Development Cooperation : involves collaboration in other developing countries. The end of development cooperation is the eradication of poverty, unemployment and social exclusion; its objective is to increase the level of political, social, economic and cultural development in other countries. - Virtual volunteering : can not you move but you want to help? Cybervolunteering or virtual volunteering allows you to help from your home, without having to travel. The coordination of projects, consulting, writing or training are activities that you can carry out within an NGO through your computer.

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Then, there is voluntary work in all sectors, for example these 4. Health and emergency Emergency situations caused by wars, famine or natural disasters require more volunteers. The organizations make appeals for help to attract volunteers who want to contribute their work to the cause. From the pure sanitary assistance to the collection of food or clothes, emergency situations require volunteers to perform very varied tasks . Natural disasters and conflicts mean wounded, sick people and children who need to be cared for.

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Education and prevention Literacy, education and information are basic to foster good habits and prevent problem behaviors. Many volunteers work in literacy and adult education, encouragement and promotion of participation in the school community, etc. You can do a very important work in this area if you help in initiatives to prevent AIDS, road safety education, support in campaigns of vaccination, prevention of accidents, drug addiction, etc. Education is the basis for a developed and healthy society.

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Green volunteering: awareness and promotion The performance of voluntary work can be linked to care for the environment, something on which society is increasingly aware. The protection of species, the fight against environmental degradation, promote recycling; All these initiatives have more power the more people are involved in them.

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Integration and social problems Discriminated groups, social integration and the guarantee of human rights are another focus of volunteer work. The social aspect includes from the help to integrate marginalized groups, the attention to people in need, attention to the disabled, defense of human rights, etc.