Thanks to 150 volunteers: Volunteer Day celebrated in NRW!

Thanks to 150 volunteers: Volunteer Day celebrated in NRW!

In the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia, more precisely in the Düsseldorf Ministry of the Interior, the ceremony for “Volunteering Day” took place on December 5, 2025. This special event was organized by Interior Minister Herbert Reul himself and counted around 150 volunteers among the guests, including 20 committed Johanniters from all over North Rhine-Westphalia. On this day, the tireless work of the volunteers in disaster control, who play a crucial role in our state, was recognized.

In his speech, Minister Reul emphasized the impressive number of over 100,000 people who are involved in fire and disaster protection in North Rhine-Westphalia. These dedicated citizens are the backbone of our community, especially in times of crisis when every single person can make a difference. Eike Hundhausen from the Johanniter was also there and expressed his thanks to all the volunteers who often do invisible but essential work.

A diverse program

The event not only offered speakers, but also an entertaining and educational program. Moderated by the charming Clarissa “Clari” Corrêa da Silva, the festival included an emotional photo review that summarized the highlights of the past few years. An interactive disaster prevention quiz invited those present to test and loosen up their knowledge. The challenges and future prospects of disaster control were discussed in a panel discussion, followed by a get-together to promote inter-organizational dialogue.

An important background to this event is the celebration that has been taking place annually since 2018, which is part of the image campaign #EngagiertFürNRW. This initiative aims to support aid organizations in North Rhine-Westphalia and increase awareness of self-protection. The “ReadyWieNie” campaign, which was launched in June 2024, aims to help the population prepare for unforeseeable disasters such as heavy rain or power outages.

Strengthen volunteer work

The importance of volunteering extends to many areas of life. As the website of the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of the Interior makes clear, around 1.76 million people aged 18 and over in Germany are involved in civil defense and disaster protection. A third of operating organizations in this sector are struggling to meet increasing demands, further highlighting the value of volunteering. Measures to recruit and retain members are particularly necessary, as a strong base of volunteers is essential in order to deal with the challenges in a timely manner.

The “No matter what you can do, you can help” campaign from the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) aims to attract underrepresented groups, such as people with a migration background or disabilities, to volunteer. Despite all efforts, the proportion of women in aid and emergency organizations is currently only 20 percent, which shows that there is still potential for improvement.

The challenges are diverse and require a joint effort, both from the organizations themselves and from society as a whole, in order to secure and strengthen the valuable work of volunteers in the future. This is the only way to ensure that a quick and efficient response can be made in the event of a disaster. Recent events make it clear that the need for well-trained emergency services has never been greater and that tutoring and preparation for such situations are becoming increasingly important.

For further information about volunteering in fire and disaster control in North Rhine-Westphalia and the numerous opportunities to get involved, visit the website [Johanniter](https://www.johanniter.de/juh/lv-nrw/aktuelles-aus-nrw/nachrichten-detail/ich-muesste-noch-viele-jahr Jahrhunderte-hier-stellen-um-allen-ehrenamtlichen-danke-zu-sagen-17415/), des Ministry of the Interior or the [BBK](https://www.bbk.bund.de/SharedDocs/Press Releases/DE/2025/04/pm-22-studie-ehrenamtliches-engagement.html).