“Community Development” in Dubai honors distinguished volunteers

The Community Development Authority in Dubai honored the most distinguished volunteers in community service, in appreciation of their efforts and contributions to enhancing community cohesion and cohesion, in conjunction with International Volunteer Day, which falls on December 5, emphasizing the importance of volunteer work as a basic pillar of community cohesion and solidarity and its pivotal role in supporting sustainable community development. .

The Authority revealed that the number of volunteers registered in its Dubai Volunteering Platform reached more than 57,000 by the end of last November, while the number of its volunteer agencies reached more than 1,500 volunteer agencies, in addition to 147 volunteer teams, which reflects the strength of solidarity and joint work in Dubai.

The ceremony witnessed the honoring of a number of groups that demonstrated exceptional commitment to supporting volunteer work, and this included entities that support volunteer work, including the Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, the General Department of Community Happiness in Dubai Police, the Food Bank of Dubai Municipality, and the Senior Citizens Department in the Community Development Authority. And the “Akaf” Association, the most distinguished volunteer initiative, and the volunteer teams and associations that offered distinctive opportunities and recorded a large number of volunteer hours.

With regard to individuals, 27 volunteers were honored among senior citizens over the age of 60, 14 volunteers specialized in various fields who provided remarkable efforts in community service, and 12 volunteers who were distinguished individuals who participated in various opportunities and provided significant volunteer hours.

The youngest volunteer registered on the platform for the year 2024 was also honored, confirming that volunteering is a culture instilled from childhood.

The Executive Director of the Community Organization Sector at the Community Development Authority, Hariz Al-Murr bin Hariz, said that International Volunteer Day represents an important opportunity to celebrate volunteer work, and to emphasize that volunteering is not just time given or effort expended, but rather a noble message that reflects the extent of community interconnectedness and cohesion, noting the efforts Volunteers and their continuous contributions show that Dubai is not only a city of innovation and development, but also a city of giving and altruism.

During the ceremony, the launch of the “Friends of Volunteering” initiative was announced, which aims to spread the culture of volunteering on a broader scale and enhance community participation by forming a team of young volunteers from school students who work to encourage their colleagues and community members to engage in volunteer work, to consolidate the values ​​of solidarity and social responsibility. For future generations.