THREE YEARS OF WORKING ON SUSTAINABILITY

Ljubica Marković is a volunteer from Novi Sad Volunteering Service for two years. As the student of the final year of German language, she came with the desire to repay the community in which she lives, as a volunteer. Quickly, one engagement became another one and Ljubica remained a volunteer.

“I remember working on the first conference when I was volunteering. Definitely a new experience. Each following volunteering engagement was something special for me, I learned something from everything and improved some of my skills and abilities, met new people and hanged out them and it has continued that way. After that, every volunteering brings something new”, Ljubica adds.

Ljubica is one of more than 1047 volunteers of Novi Sad Volunteering Service. After two years of work, more than 137 supported volunteering activities and 9000 volunteering hours, we could objectively say that we have set excellent grounds for volunteering in Novi Sad. “We have pretty important results, not only for Serbia, but for the region and Europe, too. We have made progress in working with volunteers, established important partnerships with institutions and organisations in Novi Sad. Volunteering is more and more seen as a positive thing which gives us an opportunity for learning, personal development, support to the community… Partnership between the two capitals shows that together and with the synergy of experience, joined capacities and results, great results can be achieved”, Vojislav Prkosovački, the coordinator of Novi Sad Volunteering Service explains.

Therefore, for the third year in the row, Novi Sad Volunteering Service has organised international conference devoted to volunteering – Formula for Sustainability, with the support of the two capitals.

“The idea is to leave a city service which would deal with volunteers and the young and elderly ones, and adults, as well as all of those who want to volunteer and donate their time for the well-being of the community, and to develop personally, after the years of the capitals. The only permanent thing is continuous solutions and therefore, the solution for the future of volunteering in Novi Sad is – Novi Sad Volunteering Service”, Vukašin Grozdanović, OPENS Coordinator says.