Volunteering is underestimated because it is not paid for: society too easily has esteem for (highly) paid work. But it is clear, looking around, that a vast part of social life would disappear if there were no volunteers to do the job: social and cultural associations can survive thanks to a lot of enthusiastic volunteers. Young people in their free time, elderly people give a sense to their life when retired.
Our project was a very successful experience proving that all these young and elderly people could find agreement on the value of volunteering. I discovered enthusiasm and engagement, which I didn’t imagine, existed. OpenForum 10 – BrugesV11 – Volunteering 2011