Do we give or receive? – volunteering in practice

Eszter Őry, the head of the fine arts agency artNESZ and the founder of the recently established VAP = Volunteering in Art Programs, talks about the involvement and opportunities of those who undertake volunteer work.

The international form of organized volunteering did not develop until the 20th century, although the foundations go back to the Middle Ages. In Hungary, at the end of the 19th century, they began to deal more deeply with the topic, and 100 years later, after the change of regime, the civil organizations that got involved in the process of social care became stronger. In 2005, the first legal regulation was created, the scope of which already extended to international volunteering.

In our country, the approximate value of voluntary work has exceeded 1% of GDP in the last few years, and in 2022, the value of helping work is estimated at nearly HUF 66 billion through organizations, and HUF 632.7 billion directly. Perhaps it is not surprising that a slightly higher proportion of women (54%) undertake voluntary work, and the 50-59 age group is the most active age group. A quarter (26.2%) of those doing voluntary work have a higher education.