…I hope that you all had a happy Valentines weekend and enjoyed spending time with your loved ones. Last week, City Action was busy gearing up for the weekend by collaborating with CNN on a Valentine’s themed feature, broadcast on Saturday 14th, about our volunteering brokerage service.
CNN reporter Adrian Finighan visits Spitalfields Crypt Trust where Bank of Montreal employee volunteers support a lunchtime drop-in once a week. Despite the slightly tongue-in-cheek approach to this news story, the value of City Action’s service is highlighted as it is described as “a unique initiative that allows volunteers and non-profit groups to work together”.
Adrian also goes on to say: “Though it might not be ‘true love’ in the traditional sense, this relationship has had benefits for many…there are many types of (volunteer) matches but one clear goal – a relationship – built on a foundation of generosity of spirit”.
As programmes like The Secret Millionaire become ever popular due to the deeply personal and transformational nature of the volunteering stories featured and Barack Obama’s celebrated inauguration speech which focuses on “a new era of responsibility” – perhaps engaging in volunteering is going to become a vital part of rebuilding our economies and communities. To quote Obama:
“We have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world…duties that we do not grudgingly accept but seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task…this is the price and promise of citizenship”
Please do watch the full news story here and let us know your views on the future of volunteering…
