President launches ‘time bank’ for volunteers

The President has launched a novel scheme through which people can pledge to volunteer their time to help people at the lower rungs of society.

Addressing a press conference, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca explained that the idea behind the ‘Noffri’ initiative is for people to donate their own time to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

“Therefore, a mechanic can donate 20 hours to fix the vans of nuns that are used to transport children who live in orphanages,” the Office of the President said in a statement. “A driver can donate 40 hours to drive people with disability, a student can offer 50 hours to travel to Lourdes with the sick, a teacher can offer 35 hours to give private lessons to a boy suffering from cancer at hospital, and an accountant can offer 40 hours to help an NGO keep its accounts up to date.

“Everybody has time that they can volunteer.”

The initiative will be administered by John Bottiglieri and will be broadcast on Xarabank on Friday, 2 October.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat will offer 20 hours of voluntary work amongst Special Olympics athletes, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil will offer 20 hours of voluntary work amongst victims of drug abuse at Caritas, and Archbishop Charles Scicluna will offer 20 hours of voluntary work to help the elderly.

Labour whip Godfrey Farrugia, who has just undergone cancer surgery in London, has pledged to offer 55 hours of voluntary work as a doctor to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

People can participate in this initiative by visiting noffri.com or by calling 21255255.