More than 2300 volunteers have already registered (24-01-2006)

VALENCIA The 5th World Meeting of Families (WMF), convoked by the Pope in Valencia from 1st to 9th July of this year, already has 2,300 registered volunteers who have offered their collaboration through the web site www.wmf2006.org.

Among the volunteers are students, married couples, housewives, as well as doctors, psychologists and economists. There are as many from different cities from all over the world as there are from the Valencian Community, sources from the Organization revealed today to the local agency AVAN. They have commented that the age of the volunteers varies between 16 and 70. Apart from Spain, the countries from which most volunteers have registered are Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Italy, Mexico and the United States.

Furthermore, numerous volunteers, who were selected last weekend, have offered to collaborate in the translation service of the WMF, as is the case with two young people who speak Chinese and Greek, according to the same sources.

Once the selection process has finished, "each volunteer will be told of their tasks, among which figure dealing with participants and picking them up from stations, harbour and airport; information for the pilgrims in varying places around the city; collaboration in the press office; translation and interpretation, and the logistics of events, as well as accompanying the authorities and coordination of groups".

To participate in this Meeting volunteers must be "18 and over, and those who are 16 with parental permission, to be selected for the different posts that need to be covered" according to sources of the managing foundation of the Organization, which comprises the Archbishop, the Generalitat, the Town Hall of Valencia and the Local Council.

Aspiring volunteers can obtain more information from the Volunteer Office of the 5th WMF, situated on Paseo de la Petxina, 42, Valencia, which is open afternoons from 4 until 8 pm, telephone number 0034 963 382 176.

AVAN