Thank you to our volunteers
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF SRI LANKA RED CROSS JAGATH ABEYSINGHE IN VIEW OF
INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY 2017
A child wounded from floods receiving some water to drink. A hungry family living in a temporary shelter receives some warm clothes. A father finds his child after a devastating landslide. Where there are carnage and destruction, there is always a ray of hope, thanks to the volunteers who give their time, skills and resources to others needs.
International Volunteer Day is a chance to thank the many individuals who act with this spirit of giving and to encourage others to follow their example. When a landslide destroys homes, volunteers prove that human solidarity is shatterproof. When racist looks to destroy communities, volunteers safeguard community’s values. When development is lagging, volunteers help enable people to lift themselves out of poverty.
The humane impulse to assist and empower others that motivates volunteers rebounds back to them in the form of an enriched life. Volunteers offer life skills while expanding their own know-how; they empower communities while earning a sense of personal fulfilment at having made a difference in our world.
I applaud all people who volunteer each year for the benefit of their communities in Sri Lanka. I am especially grateful to the over 15,000 Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers who support efforts to prevent conflicts, help societies recover from a disaster, promote development, assist in crisis situations and carry out numerous other projects for the greater good.
Founded on the values of solidarity and mutual trust, volunteerism transcends all cultural, linguistic and geographic boundaries. By giving their time and skills without expectation of material reward, volunteers themselves are uplifted by a singular sense of purpose.
On this Day, let us renew our determination to offer strength and inspiration to others through volunteerism.
On this International Volunteer Day, let us be inspired by the many individuals who selflessly serve others, and let us resolve to do our part to contribute, freely and proactively, to change conditions now towards a better future for all.
Jagath Abeysinghe
05th December 2017