Working with business is key for a more successful society “Companies and the private sector are an es- sential part of the environment we seek to in- fluence with our work. That is why we believe it is important to work together. On the one hand, it makes people feel that they are part of something bigger and that the place where they invest most of their time and profession- al skills functions as a part of society. When you feel that company policy also sides with
your personal values, you understandably feel more motivated. This is part of a continuous process, at the heart of which lies volunteer- ism — building a more empathetic, healthier society,” Natalia concludes.
“The best thing is seeing the look of gratitude in the eyes of those you help. Next are the pleasant moments you spend together with your teammates during and after the event.”
A 2022 TimeHeroes survey participant
After a decade of work, proudly supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation, in- cluding more than 2,710 completed initiatives in 361 places around Bulgaria with the help of over 92,000 volunteers, the outlook is far more encouraging. A 2019 study shows that a quarter of Bulgarians volunteered their time in support of their fellow citizens or environ- mental initiatives. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic unleashed an unprecedented wave of empathy in Bulgarian society. Bulgarians’ support for those flee- ing the war in Ukraine and the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria as well as of the floods that devastated Bulgarian villages in the last two years is evidence that solidarity is permanently on the rise.
A More Caring Society Since its founding in 2011, TimeHeroes has worked to address a worrying trend: accord- ing to a 2007 Eurobarometer poll, only 7% of surveyed Bulgarians participated in volunteer initiatives.
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