Volunteer

Volunteer

A volunteer is someone who works for a community or for the benefit of environment primarily because they choose to do so. The word comes from Latin, and can be translated as "will" (as in doing something out of ones own free will). Many serve through a non-profit organization – sometimes referred to as formal volunteering, but a significant number also serve less formally, either individually or as part of a group.

A volunteer may or may not get paid or receive compensation for services rendered. [cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm|title=Volunteering in the United States 2006|publisher=Bureau of Labor Statistics|accessdate=2007-12-20] General Andrew Jackson's Tennessee Volunteers were paid by the General personally, although he did seek reimbursement at Washington for his expenditures.

Volunteering comes in many forms: serving food at the local homeless shelter, providing computer technical support to a non-profit organization, acting in a leadership capacity on a charitable organization's board of directors or coordinating the emergency response in the case of a disaster. Around the world volunteer centers exist to support the voluntary sector and make a difference in the communities that they serve.

See also

*Community organization
*Ikando - Volunteers for Africa
*Hiwi
*Hospital volunteer
*Non-governmental organization
*Private voluntary organization
*Pro bono
*Service club
*Virtual volunteering
*Volunteer Center
*Volunteer fire department
*Volunteerism

Notes

Internal links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?
Synonyms:
, , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • volunteer — Ⅰ. volunteer UK US /ˌvɒlənˈtɪər/ noun [C] ► a person who does a job or some work without being paid or forced to do it: »They employ 1,000 people and 23,000 volunteers. »I will ask for volunteers to help with the search. Ⅱ. volunteer UK US… …   Financial and business terms

  • Volunteer — Vol un*teer , a. Of or pertaining to a volunteer or volunteers; consisting of volunteers; voluntary; as, volunteer companies; volunteer advice. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • volunteer — [väl΄ən tir′] n. [earlier voluntier < obs. Fr voluntaire < L (miles)voluntarius,VOLUNTARY (soldier)] 1. a person who chooses freely to do or offer to do something 2. a person who chooses freely to enter naval or military service, without… …   English World dictionary

  • Volunteer — Vol un*teer , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Volunteered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Volunteering}.] To offer or bestow voluntarily, or without solicitation or compulsion; as, to volunteer one s services. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • volunteer — vol·un·teer /ˌvä lən tir/ n 1: one that voluntarily undertakes something; esp: one who without request, obligation, or an interest pays the debt of another and is denied reimbursement from subrogation 2: one who receives property without giving… …   Law dictionary

  • volunteer — (n.) c.1600, one who offers himself for military service, from M.Fr. voluntaire, noun use of adj. meaning voluntary, from L. voluntarius voluntary, of one s free will (see VOLUNTARY (Cf. voluntary)). Non military sense is first recorded 1630s.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Volunteer — Vol un*teer , v. i. To enter into, or offer for, any service of one s own free will, without solicitation or compulsion; as, he volunteered in that undertaking. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Volunteer — Vol un*teer , n. [F. volontaire. See {Voluntary}, a.] [1913 Webster] 1. One who enters into, or offers for, any service of his own free will. [1913 Webster] 2. (Mil.) One who enters into service voluntarily, but who, when in service, is subject… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • volunteer — [v] offer to do something advance, bring forward, chip in*, come forward, do on one’s own volition*, enlist, go in*, let oneself in for*, offer services, present, proffer, propose, put at one’s disposal*, put forward, sign up, speak up, stand up …   New thesaurus

  • volunteer — ► NOUN 1) a person who freely offers to do something. 2) a person who works for an organization without being paid. 3) a person who freely enrols for military service rather than being conscripted. ► VERB 1) freely offer to do something. 2) say… …   English terms dictionary

  • volunteer — I UK [ˌvɒlənˈtɪə(r)] / US [ˌvɑlənˈtɪr] noun [countable] Word forms volunteer : singular volunteer plural volunteers ** 1) someone who is not paid for the work that they do The organization is appealing for volunteers. a volunteer worker a small… …   English dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”