National Volunteers week is running from the 19th- 25th May.
This year's theme, Connecting Communities, celebrates the significant role volunteers play in building stronger communities, and in helping people connect with others.
However, the number of volunteers in Australia has been in decline in recent years, prompting calls for the government to provide more support for those offering their time and skills for free.
While around a fifth of Australia’s formal volunteers are involved in community services, welfare, and homelessness, another sector where volunteers make major contributions is emergency and natural disaster response.
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