Abstract

Disinterested will of serving other people arises from the will of the concrete person. Volunteering is characterized by continuity and regularity in actions taken indirectly for the benefit of people in need. Volunteerism on a social scale is sometimes considered a noble, though not always effective, method of alleviating social injustice and the hardships of fate that afflict some people very painfully. Volunteering in Poland began to develop only after 1989 as a result of political and social changes. At that time, numerous non-government organizations also began to emerge. Development of these organizations caused the need to legally regulate the help provided by volunteers voluntarily and free of charge. The first regulations on volunteer work can be seen in the Social Welfare Act of November 29, 1990. On March 26, 2003, the Law on Public Benefit and Volunteering was passed, which regulates the institutions of volunteering in the third part. According to the regulations, a volunteer is any person (physical) who voluntarily and free of charge performs services specified by law. Volunteering is a voluntary, free, conscious act for the benefit of other people that goes beyond family, colleague, and
friendship ties. Volunteer is a person who performs services (equivalent to work performance) for various, including government, non-economic organizations. These services should be realized based on the agreement between the volunteer and the organization concerned. A volunteer should have the qualifications required by the organization. Volunteering is a way of life, a way of life, a concept that has made a dizzying career in the III Republic of Poland. In 2005 23.2% i.e. 6.9 million adult Poles declared that they provided help to various organizations, groups, religious and social associations. The article is primarily intended to show what volunteering is and what are its goals and tasks in the context of legal regulations in Poland.