PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten – Saturday, December 5th marked International Volunteer Day, which is observed globally to celebrate the power of volunteerism.
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications Irania Arrindell, would like to congratulate and commend all those in the Sint Maarten community who volunteer their time on a daily basis, on weekends or during holidays to contribute to assist local community and civic organizations with projects and events.
“Sint Maarten has several strong civic organizations who have been around for many years, and who carry out very important projects in our community. I commend all of the members of these organizations and encourage them to continue with their good work which is helping the Sint Maarten community,” Minister Irania Arrindell said on Sunday.
SXM DOET, is a Kingdom-wide community service campaign that aims to lend a helping hand to active organizations and community projects on Sint Maarten that need it most. Last year it was a great success with over 35 projects and 1000 volunteers participating to make a change. On 11 & 12 March 2016 the island-wide annual SXM DOET event will be back again.
The SXM DOET project team is aiming for even bigger and better during the second edition of SXM DOET! To ensure that SXM DOET 2016 is a success, SXM DOET is kicking off with a Holiday party next week Wednesday, December 9.
The SXM DOET Project Team and the Be The Change Foundation are inviting interested parties to the SXM DOET Holiday Kick Off Party at the Ocean Terrace at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, on Wednesday December 9th, 2015, from 6:30pm to 9:00pm, to learn more about how individuals and local organizations can participate in SXM DOET 2016.
“SXM DOET is a great initiative and should be supported by those who are able to volunteer their time to a good cause. Volunteers make a difference in our community and I encourage those in our community, especially young people who are not working to join a local civic organization and be a part of volunteerism and in helping your society. Volunteerism connects us to those who need us most,” Minister Irania Arrindell said on Sunday.
International Volunteer Day has been observed on 5 December every year since 1986. This year, the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer another opportunity for individuals to show solidarity through volunteerism.
The United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, highly commended the more than 6.300 UN Volunteers and 11,000 UN Online Volunteers who help millions of people to make sustainable change and peace happen. He also commended and saluted the one billion community volunteers worldwide.
Minister Arrindell says volunteerism connects us to those who need us most
