ESC: Small Actions, Big Impact: ESC Volunteering at Centre for Children at Risk in Tallinn, Estonia

Shelter for Mothers and Children is one of 13 units in Tallinn Children's Home. Tallinn Children's Home opened its doors on the 1st of January 2001 being a mixed-care social welfare institution in Tallinn, offering various services to about 300 children in a year. Shelter for Mothers and Children began its activity on the 1st of July 2003. The shelter provides assistance and protection for mothers with their children whose life or health is at risk in their place of residence. The main objective for the shelter is to protect mothers and children but also to help mothers to get back their self-confidence and independence. The average time spent in the shelter has been 3.5 months whereas the longest period has been 11 months. Reasons for seeking assistance is mainly due to problems with housing, family relations and domestic violence. Shelter for Mothers and Children is situated in Tallinn, in the district of Nõmme. Nõmme is about 20 minutes away by bus from the historical center of Tallinn. This area is surrounded of big park and forest, which is a beautiful sight every time of the year. In the shelter there are 7 rooms, most of them are shared ones, ment for 2 mothers with their kids. There also are 2 big common areas with fully equipped kitchen, tv area and space for kids to play. In the common area volunteer can find a lot of interesting stuff for activities: different games, toys, papers and colors for drawing or painting, TV with DVD player etc. So everything depends on a volunteer, what she/he wants to do, how active she/he can involve children in her/his activities. We are welcoming one volunteer, who will use all her/his motivation and skills to make children's life more interesting and mothers' daily life easier.