Time to Give - Volunteer Auction

In this year’s National Trade Fair, Greenhouse Malta, with the assistance of the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) will be organising a 'Volunteering Auction' on the 24th, 30th June and 3rd July, 2011. This is a new concept in Malta were participation is encouraged by a silent auction where rather than bidding money, people will be asked to bid ‘volunteer hours’ that is the hours they are willing to dedicate to volunteering with the organisations of their choice.

People will be given the choice to bid ‘volunteering hours’ with up to 14 local organisations including: Arthritis and Rheumatism Association of Malta, Animal Rights Group, Bird Life Malta, fish4tomorrow, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Friends of the Earth, Funny Farm, Koperattiva Kummerc Gust, Mid-Dlam Ghad-Dawl, Noah's Ark, St. Joseph Home for boys - Santa Venera, Organisation for Friendship in Diversity, Third World Group, Tomasina Cat Sanctuary and YMCA . The artwork for the auction has been kindly donated by different local artists distributing varied collections. We are grateful to Jeni Caruana, Christine Cutajar, Gabriel Caruana, Gabriella De Gaetano, Joseph Caruana, Stephanie Borg, Trudy Gera, Tango Malta and Clyde Haber who contributed to this volunteering mission.

These organizations have a common goal of promoting volunteer work to aid the community and better the environment, with no reward in mind. For instance, more animal shelters and centres depend on volunteers, to help out in cleaning, feeding and taking them for a walk or even to a vet. They would also need someone that can help with building fences and with computer knowledge. Without these people that update, making others aware and seek others to help out, saving actual animals wouldn’t be possible. So it’s not about the money its about a person’s love and commitment towards an active participation. This also includes in helping the environment, by joining a conservation group to preserve species and even take part in clean ups and educational awareness. None the less, the artists also contributed from their own will with no intention, which makes a positive impact that warm hearted people are reaching out more to be activists. They are not just showing their creative ability but giving a meaningful distribution to the public.

In certain situations, we get inspired to make ourselves worth by spending time with less fortunate people and give money to aid their way of life. Yet although those couple of minutes and hours would not be very beneficial to us, or expressed in an outrageous way, these people would still be thankful that at least someone not just cared to notice but was there to help physically. Donating time changes lives. It doesn’t just helps you on your personal development or adapt to new skills, but it makes you feel needed and understand more what certain people and animals go through and therefore such an experience would be powerful for the future by witnessing and making others aware of the current realities. With a bit of effort, a person would expand a greater cause and this would lead to a satisfactory difference. Voluntary work is also an empowering tool to the individual and not only an expression of solidarity.

Furthermore, to participate and bid on these artworks, people may pre-register online or at the MCVS stand on the days of the auction from 6 pm onwards, but people will be given the opportunity to view and bid on them online. Some artwork will be auctioned over the course of the whole week, while others will be auctioned on one day. For more information on registration and on the organisations which are offering volunteering opportunities is available on Greenhouse’s website – www.greenhousemalta.com. Organisations and artists who would also like to participate in this auction may contact Greenhouse on auction.greenhouse@gmail.com

We encourage the people that want some paintings to think of the benefits of this event that while ‘purchasing’ a personal item, a person would contribute to society in more ways than one by volunteering with particular organization/organizations. And to all those that still want to make a difference, without winning the actual item, you can still contribute in helping out with organizations and making others aware of such causes and aims.