The National Volunteer Award is the highest recognition in Croatia for volunteering and is awarded for promoting volunteerism and other volunteer activities. The award is given in three categories: individual, volunteer coordinator, and organisation.
"The main message of today's awards is that, no matter how busy we are with our own challenges, we must take a moment to look around and realise that we are not alone, that there are others who need help," Piletić said, adding that helping others enriches the one doing the helping.
"This year, through the financial resources of the Ministry of Labour, we have funded 34 volunteer centres, allocating over €450,000. For 2025, we project €550,000 in funding," he said.
"In 2024, we recorded more than 1,660 volunteer organisers, with over 68,000 volunteers participating," he added.