ESC - NEW HORIZONS - 10 month project in POLAND

Ośrodek Pomocy Społecznej w Swarzędzu (The Social Welfare Center in Swarzędz) is an independent organizational entity of the social services, operating in the Swarzędz community area. It was established in 1990 in order to carry out various tasks in the field of social policy. The most important of them are: - providing families and individuals with comprehensive assistance in overcoming a difficult life situation, - supporting members of dysfunctional families in their pursuit of independence and in learning to properly fulfill their social functions and tasks, - assistance in meeting the necessary needs guaranteeing a dignified life, - preventing and dealing with social pathologies, - social inclusion of people at risk of exclusion (people aged 60 and older, long-term unemployed, children and youth from families with alcohol and violence problem), - preventing the emergence and development of various social problems. The Social Welfare Center in Swarzędz implements the above-mentioned goals by fulfilling the tasks provided for in the Social Welfare Act. The most important of them are: - awarding and payment of benefits and allowances, - social work, - analysis and evaluation of social phenomena which result in the need for social assistance, - implementation of activities in response to specific social needs, - developing new forms of social assistance and self-help, - creating a municipal system of alcohol and drug prevention, - conducting classes for children and youth in social therapy centers, - conducting general development activities for people aged 60 and older in senior facilities, - improving employees' competences by participating in courses and training. The Social Welfare Center in Swarzędz, in addition to its headquarters, has the following facilities in the city and the commune: - Sociotherapeutic Youth Center "Nasza Dziupla" in Swarzędz, - Integration and Therapeutic Youth Center in Gruszczyn, - Village Youth Center in Karłowice, Wierzonka, Wierzenica and Uzarzewo, - Daily House "Senior-Wigor" in Swarzędz, - Daily Care Center in Swarzędz, - Senior Activity Center and 13 Senior Clubs. The main target groups of activities undertaken by the Social Welfare Center are: - members of dysfunctional families, - people who are helpless in life, - people living in poverty, - economically inactive people and unemployed, - people excluded or at risk of social exclusion, - people aged 60 and over, - people who need help in caring for dependent and sick family members, - all people receiving benefits. The Social Welfare Center in Swarzędz is applying for the Quality Label because it wants to continue the activities carried out so far as part of the European Voluntary Service of the Erasmus+ Program and the European Solidarity Corps. Since 2007, the organization has hosted in Swarzędz young people from various European countries like Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and Luxembourg. Volunteers who come to Swarzędz work in facilities of the Social Welfare Center with people at risk of social exclusion. They conduct English language classes for children from dysfunctional families and seniors, prepare and present multimedia presentations about their personal interests, traditions and culture of the country they come from, about the European Solidarity Corps and the European Union. At the same time, they develop their personality by functioning in a new and unknown reality, learn Polish at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, learn about Polish culture, build new relationships, expand their social capital and undergo a whole cycle of training and evaluation of the European Solidarity Corps. The goals of the Social Welfare Center in Swarzędz, in the projects of the European Solidarity Corps, are as follows: - improving the quality of classes for people at risk of social exclusion, - development of key competences of children from dysfunctional families, seniors and volunteers, - putting the idea of solidarity into practice, - social inclusion of people with fewer opportunities, - promoting European values – respect for human dignity and human rights, equality, freedom, tolerance and democracy, - building international partnership. The Social Welfare Center in Swarzędz invites to cooperation every motivated person aged 18 to 30, regardless of: views, education, gender, race, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation or economic situation.