Marking International Day of Charity tomorrow

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew is encouraging New Zealanders to support International Day of Charity tomorrow by looking at the array of charitable opportunities available. 

“New Zealanders are recognised for their generosity and volunteering ethic. On average there are just over 400,000 kiwis volunteering every week for a charity, giving over 1.5 million hours to our communities,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“An even wider range of philanthropic opportunities exist these days thanks to websites like Seek Volunteer, crowd funding initiatives, and social enterprises, which support community goals through sustainable business ventures.

“I firmly believe that through generosity we enrich our own life as well as those we are helping. Today is a reminder of how we can use this generosity to give back to society.”

The 5th of September is the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa, one of the world’s most revered humanitarians, who inspired the United Nation’s decision to declare this day the International Day of Charity.