The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Nick McGrath, Minister Responsible for the Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector:

Minister Applauds the Role of Volunteers in Newfoundland and Labrador

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and celebrate the tireless efforts of volunteers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Last week, I was honoured to attend several events across the province in recognition of National Volunteer Week from April 15 to 22. We celebrated the vital role that volunteers play in communities throughout our province.

This year’s theme was Volunteers… Passion, Action, Impact which reflected the desire and the dedication of those who step up to make a difference. Their passion gives birth to action, which in turn has an enormous positive impact on our communities and beyond.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, we have almost 200,000 volunteers who contribute more than 35 million hours of valuable time to communities and community organizations every year, Mr. Speaker.

Our province continues to lead the country as it relates to giving. According to Statistics Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador boasts the highest donor rate of time or money to charitable and non-profit organizations in 2010 with a rate of 92 per cent, significantly higher than the national average of 84 per cent.

As volunteers in Newfoundland and Labrador continue to make time for others, they become amazing role models for our children while improving our quality of life. Our government continues to support young volunteers as they will be the future leaders of our province. As a government we celebrate the role of the voluntary, non-profit sector and its immense value and importance to the social, economic and cultural fabric of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, last year our government launched a new multimedia campaign designed to celebrate volunteers in our province. The Who Cares? campaign is raising awareness about the impact and the importance of our volunteer sector through television advertising and online promotion.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage everyone to visit www.WhoCaresNL.ca and thank a volunteer in their community. While National Volunteer Week has passed, it is important that we celebrate and thank volunteers and non-profit organizations all year long.

I ask all Honourable Members to join with me in honouring the valuable work that the volunteer and non-profit sector contributes to our great province.

Thank you Mr. Speaker.

2012 04 25             2:20 p.m.