ESC: Volunteering in day Center for people with disabilities in Vilnius

Day center "Šviesa" is an establishment of Vilnius municipality providing day social care services for people with mental and complex disabilities from 21 years old. Day center is providing care for 72 adult people with disabilities. THE AIMS OF THE DAY CENTER: To provide day social care services for mentally disabled people: - to develop and maintain their day-to-day life skills; - to organize leisure time; - to provide social-cultural services; - to provide services or personal hygiene ant maintenance. To provide: - psychological assistance; - services of health maintenance; - transport services; - services of short-term social care (possibility to stay for the night during). To enable mentally disabled people to disclose their personal gifts ant capacities, communicate ant participate en the life of community. To create an environment in which mentally disabled people coud feel secure, accepted and understood. To create an opportunity actively participate in the planning of the day's activities. To create an environment in which a person with mental disability is the main holder of rights, with their own abilities, opportunities, values and goals. To from humane attitude of democratic society toward people with mental and complex disability adverting attention not to their disability but to their personal gifts ant capabilities. To organize day activities for disabled people. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DAY CENTRE: Workschops: making candles, souvenirs, knitting and developing of social participation, computer skills, educational kitchen. - Music (individual, therapeutic activities) - Theatre - Ceramics - Textile - Woodwork - Activites for people with severe disability - Sport - Club for discussions - Programe of Representation: representatives of disabled from each group once a month are meeting to discuss their problems, desires and to offer their suggestions for asministration. - Publishing quarterly newslettes "ŠARKA" ("Magpie") involving disabled people in this process. - Various events end festivals organized in the day centre. - Participating in the events, festivals, integrationale activities outside the day centre (in the city). - Trips and excursions to the old town and other parts of Vilnius (visiting public places, museums, art galleries, ect.) including excursions to the other towns. - Implementing of programm for developing and consolidating social skills in natural environment. We are integrating into society not the disability, but the PERSON who so often warms up the society by his openness, goodness and sincerity. Society becomes more loving .... That means all together e are becoming more safe and happy.