Honorable Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams on the occasion of International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, December 5th, says the world is celebrating the goodwill radiated by persons in the communities who volunteer their time and energy in doing positive work within these communities, and therefore would like to congratulate all Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and their members on St. Maarten on the work that they do on a daily basis, Wescot-Williams said in her message issued on Monday.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly invited Governments to observe annually December 5th as International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, and urged them to take measures to heighten awareness of the important contribution of volunteer service, thereby stimulating more people of all walks of life to offer their services as volunteers, both at home and abroad.
"Our country has a number of NGOs volunteering their time and effort to help members of their community. These individuals are champions in their area of volunteerism and freely give of their time and talents to tackle various challenges.
"These persons bring vision and inspiration to every effort that they take upon themselves in order to better our community and our society. On this December 5th, I would like to congratulate them for the work that they do for our community.
"These persons have a strong desire to give back to their community and volunteering gives the satisfaction of leaving a lasting impression and knowing that one’s efforts have left a positive mark on society.
"I would like to encourage other members of our society to get involved in volunteerism by joining one of the many community organizations that make a difference on the island every day or make volunteering part of your personal agenda, as so many of you already do.
"Each one of us can make a meaningful contribution to the lives of others through volunteer work. Join in becoming active partners in building a better St. Maarten," Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams told the Department of Communication (DCOMM).