Volunteering

A volunteer is someone who helps a common cause and who does not expect to get paid for it. There are many cases, such as cleaning up after a disaster, where anyone can help. There are many cases, though, where the volunteers are trained specialists. Examples for these are the volunteer fire departments or a doctor or nurse working for organisations such as the Red Cross. Another example are the people guiding police dogs, which may be trained for emergency rescue.

Volunteers helping the 1800 people affected by Hurricane Katrina (2005) in Houston, Texas

Ithaca influenza epidemic workers, July 1919. A large crowd of people who were working as volunteers during the influenza epidemic. The group includes, doctors, nurses, ladies and schoolchildren, pictured outside the Ithaca Women's Emergency Corps kitchen.

Related pages

• Charity (practice)
• Pro bono