A feature in El Dia focuses on the vocation of Dominicans to serve as volunteers. “Volunteerism expands and takes root in the collective Dominican mentality,” reports the newspaper. The Civil Defense is one of the units that is popular among Dominicans who sacrifice vacation time with family and friends to help others. The Civil Defense trains volunteers in first aid. El Dia reports that volunteerism is now a family tradition in thousands of Dominican families.
Juan Salas, director of Civil Defense, explained why medical doctors, businessmen and citizens of humble strata sacrifice their time and resources, and endure long hours to help others. “It is a vocation of service,” he told the El Dia reporter. He said that in addition to volunteering for the Civil Defense, thousands volunteer for the Red Cross, Scouts, hospital centers, international organizations and churches.
He said repeatedly, people who volunteer express how volunteering has changed their lives and has become part of who they are.
He mentioned how in addition to donating their time and efforts, thousands of people donate funds and resources, including expensive drone equipment, to help the vulnerable.
Salas said that the Civil Defense this year had a corps of around 16,000 volunteers, including 136 health professionals working in the Christmas and New Year’s road safety operations.
Law 61-13 establishes the legal framework for volunteer work and requires that the participants are duly protected when performing their work. The law was enacted on 25 April 2013. The initiative had the backing of Red Sirve Quisqueya, with the support of Alianza ONG, Plan International and the United Nations Volunteers Program.
Over 300 volunteers worked as English translators for the Heal One Nation humanitarian medical mission of the Military Sealift Command Hospital Ship USNS Comfort in the country late last year.
The Hospital General de la Plaza de la Salud (HGPS) Volunteer Program has assisted low-income people who cannot afford medical treatment for more than 17 years.
Scouts Dominicanos has a chapter of volunteers dedicated to blood donation.
El Dia also mentions the volunteer operations coordinated by the Banco BHD León. The Servicio de Voluntariado Ignaciano de República Dominicana (SERVIR-D) recently presented the Guía de Voluntariado Corporativo Transformador (Guide to Transformational Corporate Volunteering), the country’s first editorial material on this subject.
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El Dia
4 January 2023