volunteer
noun /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə(r)/
/ˌvɑːlənˈtɪr/
- a person who does a job without being paid for it
- Schools need volunteers to help children to read.
- She does volunteer work at an orphanage.
- volunteer for/with something She was a volunteer for the Red Cross before training as a nurse.
- Volunteers from various organizations are working to save the lives of the earthquake victims.
- a volunteer firefighter
- volunteer helpers/carers
- The Centre is run by a group of dedicated volunteers.
Wordfinder- appeal
- benefit
- charity
- collection
- donation
- fundraiser
- handout
- telethon
- volunteer
- welfare
Culture voluntary workvoluntary workVoluntary work is work that you do not get paid for and usually involves doing things to help other people, especially the elderly or the sick, or working for a charity or similar organization. Most charitable organizations rely on volunteers who don't get paid, and thousands of Americans and British people give many hours of their time to doing some form of social work or organizing fund-raising events to support the work. Volunteering is especially popular in the US and the reasons for this may be found in basic American values such as the Protestant ethic, the idea that work improves the person who does it, and the belief that people can change their condition if they try hard enough.People usually enjoy volunteering, as they choose jobs close to their personal interests. For instance, people who like animals may volunteer in an animal shelter, where they take care of animals that have been treated badly. Some voluntary work is short-term, for example, when people from a community get together to create a park. Other work is longer term, such as that of the US organization Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses for poor people. Parents often volunteer at their children's schools, and do things like building a play area or raising money for new equipment. Young people are also encouraged to do voluntary work. Schoolchildren visit old people in hospitals or homes, and students at college often raise money for charities. In the US young people over 18 can take part in AmeriCorps, a government programme that encourages them to work as volunteers for a period of time, with the promise of help in paying for their education later. Older Americans who do not work may spend much of their free time volunteering.In Britain a lot of voluntary work is directed towards supporting the country's social services. the Royal Voluntary Service and other organizations run a meals on wheels service in many parts of Britain, providing prepared meals for people who are unable to cook for themselves. The Citizens Advice Bureau, which offers free advice to the public on a wide range of issues, is run mainly by volunteers, and the Blood Transfusion Service relies on voluntary blood donors to give blood for use in hospitals. Political parties use volunteers at election time, and Churches depend on volunteers to keep buildings clean.Extra ExamplesTopics Social issuesb1- He worked as a volunteer for Oxfam.
- The office is staffed by unpaid volunteers.
- The support our volunteers provide cannot be measured in purely practical terms.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- unpaid
- full-time
- part-time
- …
- army
- band
- group
- …
- appeal for
- ask for
- call for
- …
- come forward
- man something
- staff something
- …
- staff
- worker
- labour/labor
- …
- volunteer for
- a person who offers to do something without being forced to do it
- Are there any volunteers to help clear up?
- For my next trick, I'll need a volunteer from the audience.
- The company is looking for volunteers to take part in a trial.
- Hundreds of volunteers have come forward to offer their help.
Extra Examples- No volunteers came forward.
- The charity is appealing for volunteers to take elderly patients to and from hospital.
- The local community provided volunteers to repair the road.
- We can't get any volunteers to help in the gardens.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- unpaid
- full-time
- part-time
- …
- army
- band
- group
- …
- appeal for
- ask for
- call for
- …
- come forward
- man something
- staff something
- …
- staff
- worker
- labour/labor
- …
- volunteer for
- a person who chooses to join the armed forces without being forced to joinTopics War and conflictb2Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
- army
- civilian
- recruit
- serve as
- army
- corps
- force
- …
compare conscript
Word Originlate 16th cent. (as a noun, with military reference): from French volontaire ‘voluntary’. The change in the ending was due to association with -eer.