# International Volunteer Day 2026: the time volunteers give
URL: https://rver.pt/blog/dia-internacional-do-voluntariado/en/
Date: 14 November 2026

In many care homes and hospitals, what volunteers give is time: to listen, to read, to stay. In 2026 the day falls in the year the UN dedicated to them.

International Volunteer Day falls on 5 December. In 2026 it is a Saturday, and many institutions will use the week to thank the people who give them time and ask for nothing back.

This article is about the volunteers in care homes, social care providers and hospitals, and about what they do that nobody else has time to do.

## What International Volunteer Day is

The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985 to recognise the work of volunteers around the world ([official page](https://www.un.org/en/observances/volunteer-day)). In 2026 it carries extra weight: the UN declared **2026 the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development**.

## What a volunteer gives an institution

In a care home or on a ward, the team has schedules, routines and many people to look after. A volunteer has something else: unhurried time. In practice:

- **Company**: a conversation that does not have to end at teatime.
- **Reading, listening, writing**: the local paper, a letter to a grandchild, a story someone wants to tell.
- **Going along**: a walk in the garden, a visit to the chapel, the wait before an appointment.
- **Being there** for people who get few visits, who are often the ones who need it most.

Loneliness in institutions is real and heavy. A volunteer who comes every week at the same time becomes part of someone's calendar.

## What is not theirs to do

Volunteering in healthcare has limits, and rightly so. A volunteer does not carry out clinical tasks, does not decide on care and does not replace the team. Nor do they run activities the institution reserves for professionals.

## The conversation after a session

In an institution that uses virtual reality, the session is run by the team. But what comes after is often the most valuable part: the person has just seen again the beach where they spent their holidays, or the village where they were born, and wants to talk about it.

That conversation can be with a volunteer, if the institution organises it that way. Remembering out loud is one of the forms of [reminiscence through familiar places](/blog/reminiscencia-lugares-familiares-realidade-virtual/en/), and above all it needs someone with time to listen.

## An idea for the 5th

Our [calendar of health awareness days](/en/ferramentas/dias-mundiais/) suggests thanking the volunteers with a snack and a card written by the residents. The residents stop being only the ones who receive, and get to give too.

## Where RVer fits

RVer is a virtual reality system used in healthcare and social care settings, with a library of 360° videos filmed in real places. It is run by the professional from a phone or tablet that shows what the person is seeing, and it works with no internet. Whether a session makes sense, and when, is the team's decision.

## In short

- 5 December 2026, a Saturday: International Volunteer Day.
- 2026 is the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.
- In a care home or hospital, volunteers give time: company, reading, going along.
- They do not carry out clinical tasks or run activities reserved for the team, but they can be the one who stays for the conversation.

Q: When is International Volunteer Day 2026?
A: On 5 December 2026, a Saturday. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985.

Q: Why is 2026 special for volunteering?
A: The UN declared 2026 the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, so the 2026 day closes a whole year dedicated to volunteers.

Q: What can a volunteer do in a care home or hospital?
A: Keep people company, read, help with writing, go along on a walk or during a wait, and be there for people who get few visits. They do not carry out clinical tasks or decide on care.

Q: Can a volunteer run a virtual reality session?
A: No. A virtual reality session is run by the team. The volunteer can stay for the conversation afterwards, if the institution organises it that way.