the.com/volunteer
the only worker whose paycheck is the warm feeling you can't deposit
means A person who freely offers to do something, especially help or work, without being paid or compelled.
from From French volontaire, rooted in Latin voluntarius, 'of one's own will,' from voluntas, 'will' or 'choice' — itself tied to velle, 'to wish.' It first marched into English in a military sense around the early 1600s, naming a man who joined up of his own accord rather than being conscripted; only later did it spread to anyone offering unpaid effort by choice.
- origin
- From Latin voluntarius, meaning of one's free will
- economic value
- Unpaid labor worth trillions to global economies yearly
- longevity perk
- Studies link regular volunteering to lower mortality risk
- plant world
- Self-seeded crops are called volunteer plants by farmers
- military root
- Once meant soldiers who enlisted instead of being conscripted
peace corps — founded 1961, ~7,000 us volunteers serving in 60+ countries annually
doctors without borders — ~67,000 volunteers and staff across 70+ countries treating emergencies and disease
habitat for humanity — ~2 million volunteers have built or repaired homes in 1,400+ communities since 1976