NEWS RELEASE
11 June
A Well Deserved Day Off For New Zealand Red Cross Volunteers
New Zealand Red Cross is celebrating Volunteer Awareness Week (15-21 June) by giving as many of our volunteers as
possible a well deserved day off.
On Tuesday 17 June New Zealand Red Cross staff across the country will be stepping out from behind their desks to take
on some of the roles normally filled by our valuable volunteers.
New Zealand Red Cross National Manager for Volunteers Jim Wilson says the initiative is a chance to reinforce links
between staff and volunteers and to help staff understand some of the issues that volunteers face while also reinforcing
the important message that we are all one team.
“Volunteer Awareness Week is an appropriate time to recognise the valuable work our volunteers do 365 days a year and
acknowledge the fact that without them, the work of New Zealand Red Cross would not be possible,” says Mr Wilson.
Some of the voluntary roles New Zealand Red Cross staff will fill on Tuesday 17 June include serving breakfast as part
of the Red Cross Breakfast in Schools programme, helping to deliver a hot lunch with meals on wheels, working behind the
counter in Red Cross Shops and assisting with hospital transport and meet and greet services.
New Zealand Red Cross has over 26,000 volunteers registered but it always welcomes more committed people who want to
make a difference.
The act of volunteering is highly regarded within the International Red Cross community with voluntary service
recognised as one of the seven fundamental principles of the global organisation.
Ends.