On Sunday 5^th of December, following the United Nations’ initiative, the world recognises International Volunteer Day and the tireless and priceless work by volunteers around the world. MeDirect Bank promotes volunteering as we believe that time is the best gift one can give to those in need.

In order to commemorate this special day, a group of MeDirect employees helped out in two animal sanctuaries on Saturday 4^th December morning. The two associations that benefitted from this voluntary experience were Association for Abandoned Animals in Birżebbuġa and Animal Guardians in Ħal Luqa.

One of the teams of MeDirect employees visited Animal Guardians in Luqa on Saturday morning. Animal Guardians have been running a cat shelter for over 3 years. They rescue hundreds of abandoned and neglected cats and kittens. Sheltering over 300 feline friends, our team of employees helped out the volunteers, donated food and spent time with these adorable animals.

At the Association for Abondoned Animals, also known as AAA, our employees had a tour of the sanctuary, donated some dog food and helped out with the daily tasks at this home. AAA’s aim is to save as many abandoned and abused dogs as possible. On a daily basis, the volunteers at the animal sanctuary come across dogs that need love and care. They cure them, neuter them, and once they recover they do their utmost to find them a forever home. All of this is done by a number of people who work around the clock, for free, for our little four-legged friends who pay them with love.

Damita Camilleri, Customer Support Officer at MeDirect Bank, visited the sanctuary with a number of colleagues and urged the public to be cautious when adopting or gifting pets this Christmas. “Always remember that any kind of pet you decide to get as a ‘gift’ to yourself or for your children, at the end of the day, you need to take care of them, not your children. Especially if your children are young. The trauma that these animals go through is something which cannot be explained” she insisted. Camilleri also highlighted the fact that animals which are abandoned are traumatised and they might never heal from it, so one has to take everything into consideration prior to adopting pets as they are a huge commitment and require love, care and attention.

AAA is open to the public for donations and adoptions every day from 9am till 2pm. Prior appointments are recommended.

MeDirect encourages its employees and clients to give the gift of time this Christmas and spend time with those that need it the most. And always adopt, don’t shop!

A group of MeDirect employees visited the Association for Abandoned Animals in Birżebbuġa which houses a number of stray and abused dogs.

Another group visited Animal Guardians in Luqa and spent some time helping out the volunteers