Work voluntarily in Austria
- Details
- Created on Saturday, 25 February 2017 18:44
- Written by austria
by Mirjam Brait, Austria
Austria is a country where many people work voluntarily in their free time. In many organizations you can already start as a teenager, or even as a child, like at the fire brigade. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer working with people or helping to protect the environment. Among all the organizations, there is for sure one for each of you!
You are a very social and open- minded person and like to help other people? Well, then you can choose between a variety of different organizations. The most commonly known ones are the Red Cross and the Caritas. You have a wide range of possibilities where you can help: transport of sick or hurt people to the hospital, work in a refugee camp in hard times or social services and healthcare.
Other common social activities are working at the fire brigade or ORA international, but one can also seize self- initiative and take over, for example, visiting services in the old people’s home.
If you prefer doing something for the local people in your village, you can either work in the church or in the local council.
Other groups, such as Greenpeace or four paws, are working for a better protection of the environment and nature.
There is also another organization, called AFS, which is a bit different from all the ones mentioned above. AFS is an exchange organization and was found over 100 years ago. The difference between AFS and other exchange programs is that this one consist almost entirely of volunteers, and just a few people in every country are employed.
Last year I made an exchange with AFS and since the beginning I’ve loved this system because you know that every volunteer really likes his work, even so much so that he does it in his leisure time.
After my time abroad, it was clear to me that I also want to be a volunteer, so, about two months after my return I completed the basic training to become one. Of course I don’t have much responsibility yet, but I am still at the beginning.
In this organization you don’t help needy or sick people, but you discover and understand new cultures and reduce prejudices, and in my opinion this is also very important.