The Honourable Dave Denine, Minister Responsible for the Volunteer and Non-Profit Sector, is encouraging Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to join him in recognizing December 5 as International Volunteer Day.

"The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador acknowledges the importance of volunteers and recognizes their hard work, as well as the positive impact they have on the community," said Minister Denine. "People from our province have always been huge contributors to their own communities and make major contributions to organizations that do work all over the world, such as Engineers Without Borders and the Canadian Red Cross. It is clear that individuals from this province are going above and beyond to lend a hand to make our province and the world a better place to live."

Currently in Newfoundland and Labrador there are approximately 197,000 volunteers, who contribute a total of 35 million hours of valuable unpaid time to their communities and community organizations. Furthermore, there are almost 23,000 people employed by volunteer and non-profit organizations.

"I have seen firsthand the kind of work volunteers are doing across this province," said Minister Denine. "From festivals to economic development and from fighting fires to coaching hockey, their contribution to the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians is invaluable. We recognize that increasingly we rely on community-based organizations for advice, information and the delivery of programs and services that the people of our province depend on each and every day."

Over the past year, Minister Denine has been travelling across the province meeting with volunteers and non-profit organizations, providing individuals and groups with an opportunity to speak about their significant accomplishments and also voice their concerns and views of how government can assist them in being more successful. Their advice and observations will aid the Provincial Government in setting priorities and guide planning and policies over the coming years.

International Volunteer Day was established in 1985 by the United Nations General Assembly. The day is a chance for individual volunteers, communities and organizations to promote their contributions to development at the local, national and international levels.

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Media contact:

Lesley Clarke
Communications Specialist
Volunteer and Non-Profit Secretariat
709-729-6026, 699-2910
lesleyclarke@gov.nl.ca