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Are
You a valunteer ?
Although we may not be aware of it, we are volunteers in one way or another
during 'moments' in our daily lives,e.g., when we offer to cook dinner one night
for mum, when we offer to give a lift home for a colleague, when we offer to
look after a neighbor's house when they are away on holiday, or when we offer
to give up our seat to an elderly person in a crowded bus, and so on.
The origins of the word 'voluntary' comes from the Latin word 'voluntas'
meaning 'will'. A volunteer is a person who gives willingly and freely his or
her services,i.e., a person who does voluntary work. Malaysians have always
had a sense of volunteerism, where terms like 'gotong-royong' and 'communal
living' are part and parcel of our vocabulary and culture.
However, as we hurtle towards the next millennium, these words and practices
of sharing are in danger of vanishing from our social and cultural mileau. We
have come to adopt a lifestyle of individualism. The concept of 'each to its
own' is becoming more acceptable and apparent in today's society, and the number
of volunteers have also become fever.
To be successful in life is not a crime but it is a crime if we should build
our success upon the sufferings of others. Or in our pursuit for success, we
choose to ignore the sufferings of others, especially those whom we could have
helped even in a small way.
REVIVING THE SPIRIT OF VOLUNTEERISM
Have we really lost the humanity
in our soul as each day passes and things like wealth, status and career become
the first choices in our lives? We'd like to think that this isn't so. We believe
that deep down inside each one of us, there still exists that spark of giving
from the heart.
It is this innate spirit of volunteerism that brings about the formation of
non-profit organisations like Yayasan Salam Malaysia launched on 22 July
1997 by the Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, with its chairman
being Tan Sri Razali Ismail.
The Sarawak Civil Service has also formed its own dynamic and dedicated group
of volunteers comprising of civil servants across different tasks and functions.
The group, called the ACTionetwork (Agents of Change TeamNetwork),
was launched on 21 July 1998 by the State Secretary, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji
Hamid Bugo, in Kuching.
The people who chose to be actively involved in voluntary activities are not
only 'moments' volunteers. They are people who constantly put in time and efforts
to alleviate or diminish the sufferings of others or assisting them to discover
and realize their unique potentials to achieve something.
These volunteers strive to help improve the lives of others through many avenues
such as sharing of experiences, emotional support, mutual learning and understanding
as well as providing information or technical assistance when necessary.
With the current situations in the country, such as the economic slowdown,
currency devaluation, haze and drought, it is even more crucial now to revive
and sustain our spirit of volunteerism to cushion the effects of possible hardships
facing the people.
QUALITIES OF A VOLUNTEER
The qualities of a volunteer are
not measurable and also not restricted in any means. However, there are some
basic traits needed in a volunteer. They are:
1. Patience
2. Kindness
3. Love for people, animals and nature.
4. Open-mindedness
5. Good listening ears, and
6. Willingness to give of their time and
efforts
BENEFITS OF BEING A VOLUNTEER
There are many positive benefits
in being a volunteer. You can achieve :
1.
A sense of well being from giving and sharing amongst each other.
2. A sense of purpose that you are changing
and helping the world to become a better place to live in.
3. A better understanding of human frailties
and strengths.
4. An awareness of coping mechanisms available,
e.g., counseling and support groups.
5. An abundance of intangibles rewards
that have no price, e.g., smiles, hugs, joy in people's faces, etc.
Let us then stop to think about what parts we can play as volunteers in our
community. We can contribute in areas in which we have special interest in,
like saving the environment or endangered species, providing tutorials to students
or spiritual guidance to children and adolescent, helping out with crisis hotlines
and many more.
'When we are one, we are weak,
but when we are many, we are strong.'
Lend a helping hand and BE
A VOLUNTEER TODAY!
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SOME PLACES WHERE YOU CAN
VOLUNTEER
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1.
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S'wak Cheshire Home |
Jln Ong Tiang Swee |
Tel : 082-429410 |
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2.
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St. John Ambulance |
Jln Ong Tiang Swee |
Tel : 082-240907 |
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3.
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Boy Scouts Assoc. M'sia |
Jln Batu Lintang |
Tel : 082-420754 |
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4.
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Persatuan Menolong Haiwan |
Wisma Saberkas |
Tel : 082-417294 |
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5.
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Persatuan Perkumpulan Wanita
S'wak |
Jln Green |
Tel : 082-417294 |
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6.
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ACTTionetwork |
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Tel : 082-236629 |
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7.
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S'wak Girl Guide Association |
Jln Batu Lintang |
Tel : 082-257332 |
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8.
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Lions Nursing Home |
3467 Jln Stutong |
Tel : 082-461493 |
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