Voluntary things are done of one's own free will and without obligation.
Voluntary is a concept that comes from the Latin word voluntarĭus . It is a term that can be used as a noun or as an adjective , always linking to the will : the power to make decisions and act on one's own account.
As a noun, volunteer refers to the subject who decides to provide a service or carry out work of his own free will, without being obliged to do so for legal, contractual or economic reasons. For example: "Volunteers from the environmental organization held a protest in front of the headquarters of the oil company" , "The municipal government awarded eight volunteers for their social work" , "On weekends I volunteer in an association that serves food to poor children .
The adjective voluntary, on the other hand, applies to the action that is carried out by the person's will and not by external pressures or obligation: "I want to clarify that this is a voluntary act: no one is forcing me to do this." "My retirement is voluntary since I had an offer to continue playing but I preferred to reject it," "In this country the vote is voluntary, although in several nations in the region it is an obligation."
The work of a volunteer
The work carried out by a volunteer is known as volunteering . Through these actions, individuals decide to provide a service to the community without expecting anything in return : they do so for ethical, ideological or spiritual reasons.
The case is different for tasks carried out within the framework of the work environment, where the person carries out an activity in exchange for money.
Volunteer work is very important on a social level.
Collaborators in animal sanctuaries
Among the relatively modern spaces in which the work of a volunteer can be found are animal sanctuaries , non-profit organizations that are dedicated to giving a second chance to any animal that leads a bad life, such as those that suffered some kind of illness. of exploitation. Animal sanctuaries promote veganism ; That is, a diet that excludes products from animals, and in general a lifestyle that absolutely dispenses with the use of other species as tools or raw materials.
In these places, animals find an environment of equality in which they are not below any species, but at the same level, as it should be, as nature dictates. Human beings have done everything possible to distance ourselves from our roots and our essence, to the point of needing clothing to cover our genitals and to protect ourselves from cold and heat; We recognize ourselves so little on this planet that we see fit to imprison and torture an animal, but we are horrified when a person is murdered.
The work of volunteers in these spaces
Since animal sanctuaries do not profit from the beings they rescue, economic problems are almost an intrinsic part of their structure. For this reason, the work of volunteers is practically essential for their subsistence , and this can focus on various tasks, some of them sporadic, others, remote; Let's look at some examples below:
- Collaborate with the cleaning of the sanctuary. This is one of the most common volunteer jobs, as it can be done only once or without strict frequency. Although it may not seem like much, a day dedicated to a sanctuary can make a difference .
- Provide veterinary services. As is known, the animals that arrive at sanctuaries usually present a worrying state of health , since many of them come from slaughterhouses or bullrings, among other torture centers. The treatments and medications that some of them need are very expensive, and that is why volunteering in this regard is essential.
- Assist in maintaining social media accounts or creating posters to increase the visibility of sanctuaries on the Internet. A volunteer community manager can mean great savings.