Volunteers in Nitra, 2015 (source: TASR)
Nearly 9,500 volunteers across Slovakia will attend the Naše Mesto (Our City) event that takes place on June 10 and 11 in 28 towns and cities. They will be cleaning parks and public spaces, painting fences of schools and kindergartens, and also helping seniors and people in need.
The biggest volunteering event in central Europe is organised by the Pontis Foundation and the group of companies associated in Engage. The volunteers, both from companies and the public, could choose from more than 500 activities.
“The interest in volunteering is increasing every year,” said Monika Smolová, programme director of Pontis Foundation, as quoted in a press release. “This proves that people are becoming more engaged and they care about what the town they live in looks like.”
The volunteers will, for example, help improve the look of the amphitheatre in Sereď (Trnava Region), remove graffiti from a school building in Košice, accompany handicapped children and youth during canistherapy in Žilina or clean the banks of the Váh River in Šaľa (Nitra Region). In Nitra, they will help repair several castles and castle ruins and revitalise the natural lake, eco-henhouse or playground in nature.
Moreover, also professionals from companies will attend the events, offering free-of-charge pro bono advice to non-governmental organisations within the Pro Bono Marathon activity, Smolová said.
