voluntariosonline.org.br

The voluntary action in Brasil and around the world is getting more and more supporters and the volunteer’s stereotype as a retired person, with financial life resolved, without a specific qualification, now belongs to the past. Increasingly, those who are dedicated to the volunteer cause are part of group of people who make up the economically active population. These people are betwen 16 to 40 years, studying and/or working.

They also are part of the old volunteer stereotype to do charity and good actions. People who are interested in to do voluntary work nowadays they believe that this is the only way to build a more truly society and dignified living conditions for all, if everyone makes our part. Allied to this, is the sense of exercising their citizenship, their right to social participation.

The volunteers came in Brazil in the sixteenth century, when religious organizations, mostly Catholic, have introduced this type of activity in institutions related to health - the so-called Hospitals - by following the model brought from Portugal. The first Santa Casa de Misericordia was established in 1543. For many years, the work was predominantly female. In 1930, the state started to develop public policies geared to social assistance, acting in philanthropic institutions.

With the arrival of the decade, 90, grew up voluntary work, both in consciousness, as the number of volunteers, and gained strength with the construction of the Volunteers Programme, the Community Solidarity in 1996, constituting, in 16 states and the District Federal, more than 30 Volunteer Centers.

On February 18, 1998, the then President Fernando Henrique Cardoso endorsed the Law No. 9.608/98, establishing the legal limits between the volunteer and working relationship.

Currently, according to the Census of 2005, Brazil has more than 19.7 million volunteers, and 53% men and 47%, women. However, we can always increase these statistics.