Right from the very beginning, ABF has built its strength and its energy on volunteers. Volunteering is an integral part of the organization. The time donated by each person to achieve the common goal is a precious thing and it is for this reason that the Foundation strives to make volunteering a significant and valuable experience for each person.
Seven years on from when it was established, there are many people from all over the globe who have given of their time and the best of themselves to achieve the mission: Empowering people and communities. From the fundraising event organized every year during the Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico, to the workshops in Pisa and Boston and at the Expo, to the missions in Italy and Haiti, to projects such as the Voices of Haiti in Italy or New York, there are many industrious and generous hands that come together to make the increasingly ambitious goals come true.
This was the sense of the words shared between the volunteers who met on the 26 November, in Andrea’s hometown, amidst memories, happiness and deep feeling.
Out of all the words said, the one that rung out the most from the speeches was a little, great and beautiful word filled with significance: “thanks”. Thanks, for the influence of the Foundation, for the acknowledgment of the contribution created by each person according to their abilities and means. “Thanks” from the volunteers, for being part of a “big family” in which the time of each person has been transformed into real aid. Aid for which the value and uniqueness can be palpably felt.
It is a simple equation poised between will and reality, which once again takes us back to what Andrea Bocelli loves to say: “The world belongs to those who do, not those who talk”.
During the meeting at the end of November, together with Vice-president Veronica Berti and President Laura Biancalani, our founder launched the new goals for 2019. First and foremost, the aim to give Muccia and its young students from the kindergarten and elementary school a solid and functional school building in 150 days.
The time for a toast, a joyful moment, an impromptu musical embrace, with Andrea and some of his musician friends – and we are ready for the new important challenges. Because, indeed, time is precious!
