International Volunteer Day is celebrated every year on 5 December. The UN General Assembly proposed the date in 1985, and it was first marked in 1986. Ukraine adopted its Law on Volunteer Activity in 2011, and since 2014, and especially since 2022, volunteers have become the backbone of the country: they supply equipment to the front, help displaced people, rescue animals and support the elderly. Below are short Volunteer Day messages, words of thanks, wishes for volunteer friends, poems and ways to support volunteers.

More about those who help: Ukrainian Volunteer Day wishes, Social Workers Day wishes, Psychologists Day wishes.

Everyone can be part of the volunteer movement

Short Volunteer Day messages

Happy Volunteer Day! Thank you for every completed fundraiser and every good deed.
Congratulations to those who help without expecting thanks. You are our backbone!
Happy 5 December! Energy, resilience and generous donors.
May the good you do come back to you a hundredfold. Happy holiday!

Words of thanks to volunteers

Thank you for the vehicles, drones, tourniquets and warm clothes you delivered to the front. Behind each of them are lives saved.
Thank you to those who fed displaced people, rescued animals from ruined cities and brought medicine to the lonely. You have shown the power of humanity.

For a volunteer friend

My friend, you do the impossible every day. Do not forget to rest; we need you healthy. Happy Volunteer Day!
I am so proud of you! May every fundraiser close fast and your energy never run out.

Formal wishes

Dear volunteers, please accept our sincere congratulations on International Volunteer Day. Your selfless work has become an integral part of Ukraine's defence and recovery.
We wish you good health, strength, inspiration and peace.

Heartfelt words

Volunteering is not about showy heroism but quiet daily work: calls, reports, roads, boxes. Thank you for doing it.
You have shown that one person can change a lot, and together we can change everything.

Volunteer Day poems

You give your time, you give your heart,
And never ask for something back;
May joy be yours right from the start
And kindness keep you on the track!

Through boxes, roads and sleepless nights
You're always there when there is need;
May every day bring warmth and lights
And blessings follow every deed!

How to support volunteers

The best gift for a volunteer is a donation to their fundraiser and a share. Personal care matters too: invite them for coffee, help with chores, give a massage voucher. Flowers are a lovely gesture as well: a large box of hydrangeas looks festive and lasts a long time.

Hydrangea mix in a box XXL — A big box of hydrangeas: a heartfelt thank-you

See thank-you flowers and flowers in a box.

Tender hydrangea and rose bouquet — A gentle bouquet for a volunteer friend

FAQ

When is International Volunteer Day?

Every year on 5 December.

Who established the date?

The UN General Assembly in 1985; it was first marked in 1986.

What is the best way to congratulate a volunteer?

Donate to their fundraiser, share the word and say a sincere thank-you.

The kindness behind volunteering is celebrated on 13 November: World Kindness Day messages.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

Volunteer Day Messages