International Volunteer Day, established by the United Nations in 1985 and celebrated every year on 5 December, “reminds us that so many people are socially active every day because they want to give something back to society and to their fellow human beings”. According to estimates, there are about 600,000 volunteers in the German Catholic Church alone. Mgr Matthäus Karrer (Auxiliary Bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart), Vice-President of the Pastoral Commission of the German Bishops’ Conference and President of the Working Group for Commitment to Development, praises this extraordinary commitment: “The solidarity of these people is the ‘glue’ of our society. Their commitment strengthens our democracy! Anyone who makes their time and expertise available to others, thereby supporting the community in the Church and in society, deserves our absolute respect and our great gratitude”. Mgr Karrer points out: “We also cordially encourage those who are considering getting involved”, because “there are so many opportunities, in the Church and in Caritas organisations, in youth work, in helping the homeless or refugees, in distributing food, in caring for the elderly and the sick”. The Catholic Church is aware that for some people it is not enough to simply help. Indeed, some people “want to be more involved in consultations and decision-making, and want their competences and time to be respected. We want to improve on this point too,” the Auxiliary Bishop adds.