Desperately Seeking Volunteers - community volunteer service, no thanks | People & Politics
When the German defense ministry opted to suspend compulsory military service, the community service program, that was previously offered as an alternative, was also suspended. A volunteer program was introduced instead to make up for the resulting shortfall in Germany's care institutions. But many young people don't seem to know about it, or are otherwise uninterested. So the German government has launched a massive advertising campaign. Many care institutions say they no longer know how to cope because of the lack of volunteers.