Nordplus 2014

NordPlus essay

In Iceland you can find numerous volountary institutions. The biggest one, Slysavarnarfélagið Landsbjörg, is probably the most popular one, since they rescue people from dangerous situations which are many because of active vulcanos, many earthquakes and hard times in winter, esspecially in the northern parts of our country. Not so long ago the people who do volountary work for Landsbjörg, who we call Björgunarsveitarmenn, went out and saved sheep that were drowning in snow because of very much snowfall in a very short period of time. They are often called out when they are working their regular jobs but are very often allowed to go and even sometimes still get paid. In Iceland we have a great healt care and education system and poverty is at a minimum but still we have shelters that hand out food and every year before christmas the largest malls in Iceland take put up a large christmastree where you can put a present under. The gifts are then handed out by incredibly hard working people doing volountary work.



Mæðrastyrktsnefnd is also a large organisation which helps mothers in need. If a woman with children needs more money than she can get she is helped in many ways, for example do they give out coupons, give food, chirstmaspresents and clothes directly and assist them with everything they can. The Red Cross is also rather large in Iceland and they, for example, take donations of clothes both to sell in Iceland and to give to the less fortunate in other countries. We are lucky to be born in a society so willing to help others as most of us have enough and more than that so there is plenty to go around and share between us.