All the initiatives and projects developed by associations simply could not exist without volunteers. On the ADA website, we have highlighted a sentence we often use when people – and many do – ask us: «Why do you volunteer? Are you paid for it?». Our response is: «Volunteering means being part of a community; it is the awareness that your actions can genuinely improve the lives of others». What we receive is not financial compensation, but friendship and gratitude. A smile is the greatest form of recognition a volunteer can receive. A volunteer who, through the support of associations, is able to ‘age actively’ represents the true heart of the system – without them, no action would be possible.