Caritas Sofia was founded on 31 August 1993 and registered as a non-profit charitable organisation at Sofia Court of Justice on 20 April 1994 (no. 20030416009). The 1990s saw Caritas Sofia exclusively focused on providing urgent humanitarian aid to help people survive the heavy economic crisis. Long-term care and assistance provision began in early 2000 as Caritas Sofia registered at the Agency of Social Inclusion and at the State Agency for Child Protection, which enabled the licensed provision of a range of social services. The mission of Caritas Sofia is love and kindness to our neighbor which brings us to those in need. Leaning on Christian values as our guidance, we, the employees and volunteers of Caritas Sofia, assist the most vulnerable members of our society in finding their way to dignity and justice regardless of their religious beliefs, race, gender and other differences. Caritas Sofia is a voice and example of the Social teaching of the Catholic Church. Every person is created in God’s image and in his face we see God. Following the words of Jesus - “What you have done to my youngest brothers and sisters, you have done unto me” - we help the most vulnerable and suffering in the same way that we would take care of Him. Having no means of our own and heavily relying on project funding, we cannot unfortunately cater for the needs of individual cases. Elderly people, vulnerable families and children, refugees, people addicted to narcotic substances, women in need and homeless people all form our target group. Additionally, we also support people wanting to volunteer. The organisation is based in Sofia and assistance is provided in cities and towns where the Catholic Exarchate is present: Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Malko Turnovo, Kuklen, Pokrovan, Banya and Veselinovo.

Caritas Sofia partners with a crisis centre offering temporary accommodation for people experiencing homelessness, including individuals and families with children. The centre provides safe shelter, social support, and a stable environment for vulnerable people in urgent need. Child-friendly spaces help children rest, play, and feel secure during difficult times. We are seeking 9 volunteers for a 17-day project focused on improving the living conditions at the centre. Activities include: Building flower garden Decorating childrens room Restore outdoor play area Repainting the enterence Volunteers can join all activities and are encouraged to share creative ideas for improving the space. We are looking for motivated people with basic practical skills, teamwork, and a positive attitude. Experience in painting, DIY tasks, or simple construction work is welcome but not required for participation.

Accommodation will be in shared rooms in a hostel, divided into two rooms—one for men and one for women. The hostel is located in Sofia city centre, offering great opportunities to explore the city during your free time. Travel expenses—both international (arrival and departure) and local (within Bulgaria, related to the project)—will be reimbursed to participants. Volunteers will receive a daily allowance of €14 (€7 for food and €7 as pocket money), which will be reimbursed after the project is completed.

The volunteer will learn about the Caritas safe-guarding standard and about many other things, depending on his general role: social restaurant dynamics, refugee and Roma issues, teaching, playing and providing positive environment, digital media, working with people with disabilities, and more.

The Participant profile: Working with homeless people in Bulgaria can be challenging. As a participant, it is important to be kind, honest, respectful, and open-minded. Volunteers should be flexible and eager to learn—we are looking for people who are motivated to support Caritas in meaningful ways. Advanced English, relevant experience, and technical skills are considered an advantage, but they are not required. What matters most is your attitude, motivation, and willingness to contribute.
Deadline:

The project is implemented under the European Solidarity Corps Programme, financed by the European Commission.
The participating organisations have to be mindful of these needs as they are responsible for providing a respectful and trusting hosting environment. At the same time, the organisations participating in the initiative devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to set up a high-quality activity; they should therefore expect that European Solidarity Corps participants show a similar level of respect for the local communities and the people that are directly concerned by the activities (https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity/mission_en).
What do we provide ?

• Training before and after the project
• Health insurance during your project
• round-trip travel reimbursement
• accommodation and food
• pocket money
• language course
• Return Week-end
• Youth Pass and SVI international Volunteer passport

Before applying for this volunteering project, you need to enroll yourself at European Solidarity Corps Platform (https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en) and specify your European Solidarity Corps Participant Number (PRN).
This organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label.
Contact the ESC coordinator at +32 2 888 67 13 to get more informations.