Give Your Heart to Grow Your Heart! | Join YMCA Europe’s International Volunteer Day Campaign.
International Volunteer Day is right around the corner! On December 5th, we celebrate all of our amazing volunteers worldwide. We’re excited to invite your national movement to join YMCA Europe’s “Give your heart to grow your heart!” campaign to honour our volunteers and highlight the transformative power of volunteerism.
The campaign was developed by young leaders from the European Youth Representation Network (EYRN) during their recent gathering in Salderuo, Spain (learn more about the event, here). These 27 youth advocates from over 14 national YMCA movements created this initiative to celebrate current volunteers and invite new ones to join the YMCA family as catalysts for social change.
Running from November 28 to December 5, the campaign will culminate in a Europe-wide celebration on International Volunteer Day. Join us in showcasing the contributions of YMCA volunteers and inspiring more young people to take part!
Why We’re Celebrating Volunteers
Volunteers are the foundation of the YMCA’s mission, driving positive change in their communities with passion and dedication. International Volunteer Day is a time to recognize their contributions and welcome new faces who are ready to make a difference. By joining this campaign, we honour these incredible efforts and connect volunteers across Europe in a shared celebration of community and impact.
How You Can Get Involved
This campaign is designed to be easy for other YMCAs to adopt and adapt to their local initiatives. Through social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, we encourage you to share the stories and experiences of volunteers from around the world. Let’s create a collective feeling of community, belonging, and inspiration that unites all YMCAs across Europe. Here’s how you can participate:
- Help Us Connect Volunteers: Share the contact details (name and email) of the volunteer intake coordinator at your National YMCA, so we can include your information on our webpage and help connect new volunteers to your team.
- Join Us on Social Media and Promote the Campaign:
- If you already have an existing campaign or initiative for the day, we kindly ask that you include the #GiveToGrow in your social media post. This will help us track the celebration and impact across the continent.
- If you do not have anything planned, please feel free to access our Resource Kit where you will find pre-made social media post text and visuals you can adapt to your local context. Please remember to include the hashtag #GiveToGrow in your posts.
3. Share Volunteer Stories: Encourage your volunteers to post 10-15-second videos sharing their experiences, using the hashtag #GiveToGrow. Let’s fill social media with voices of gratitude and community from volunteers across Europe.
4. Engage Online: Help amplify the campaign by resharing YMCA Europe’s social media posts and engaging with them. Comment, like, and share to increase visibility and create a ripple effect that reaches even more young people across Europe. Your interactions can make a real difference!
5. Include Your Local Movements: Share the campaign with your local YMCA movements, encouraging both online and offline involvement. It is a great opportunity for the celebration of local volunteers and a way to gain more visibility to get more people involved.
Join a Europe-Wide Movement
At YMCA, we believe that change starts with those who are passionate, reliable, and ready to make an impact. By participating in the “Give Your Heart to Grow Your Heart” campaign, your YMCA can unite with others across Europe, celebrating and amplifying the impact of volunteerism.
Get Started!
Let’s come together to showcase the joy and meaning of volunteer work, creating a shared feeling of community and inspiration for a brighter future.
This December, when you give your heart to volunteering, you’ll grow your heart in return. Join us in recognizing and inspiring our amazing volunteers!
Together, let’s make this International Volunteer Day unforgettable!
