Austria: ESC: Don Bosco Sozialwerk, Vienna (Don Bosco Volunteers)

About the local hosting organization

Don Bosco Volunteers is an Austrian non-governmental organization which promotes volunteering in Austria and Europa. They offer voluntary services focused on education, social inclusion, youth and pastoral care. Volunteers contribute in the host institutions by supporting in educational programmes, leisure activities, community building, public relations or charity events. Don Bosco Volunteers is an initiative of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) and the Salesian Sisters (Figlie di Maria Ausiliatrice, FMA) and guarantees coordination, mentoring und formation for the volunteers in a professional way. The values of the organisation are rooted in Don Bosco (1815-1888) himself. He was a priest, educator and pioneer of social inclusion, dedicated his life for youngsters in need and founded a nowadays worldwide network focused on youth work. Don Bosco Volunteers focus on Don Bosco’s positive vision for everyone’s life and is sensitivity for new challenges in social inclusion. The organisation wants to inspire people for this vision of a more just and peaceful world and asks to contribute.

Presentation of the programme

“Don Bosco Sozialwerk” in Vienna is a Salesian centre for refugees with homes, counselling and training programs with circa 50 staff members. Activities for volunteers are assistance in the educational programs, companionship in the homes (housekeeping, free time activities, accompaniment to doctors and appointments with authorities, etc.) and support in administrative tasks and building services. Don Bosco Volunteers offers many volunteering opportunities. The target group are especially kids and youngsters. The tasks of the volunteers are, for example, the organizational help for a day of games and fun, the educational support of young refugees, sports and leisure activities with children and young people or the organization of joint excursions. European Solidarity Corps volunteers bring their youthful vibrancy and are positively present and close to children and young people. Their presence opens up a space for mutual learning processes and underlines the European idea.

About the accomodation

The volunteer lives in a “shared flat” in rooms of the student hostel of the Don Bosco Network in the city centre (Vienna) https://studentenheim.donbosco.at/en/. He/she has a double room (shared with another volunteer) with shower and bathroom. There is also a big community room for the volunteers and the other facilities of the student accommodation can be used as well. Food: The volunteer receives food and pocket Money monthly. Transport arrangements: The means by transport for the arrival in Austria will be organised with the office of DB-Volunteers.

About the leisure activities

The participants join the obligatory trainings (On Arrival, Midterm) organised by the Austrian National Agency. Additionally, Don Bosco Volunteers organises for the volunteers of the organisation three trainings: 4-day trip to Turin for our national and international volunteers, one-day study programme on educational issues and a weekend for reflexion.

Requirements

The Participant profile: Volunteers at the Don Bosco Social Work organization should be motivated to work with children and young people. They should be creative, communicative, active, reliable, emotionally resilient, and eager to learn (ages 3–25). German level B1 is required. These are young children, some with traumatic pasts. Please take this into account! 1. Volunteering at umF WG (Boys aged 14-18) Requirements: • Interest in supporting male traumatized adolescents who often speak little or no German or English • High flexibility for new challenges and changing tasks • Enjoyment in organization, creativity, and teamwork • Humor, empathy, and ability to reflect • Communication skills and sensitivity Detailed Tasks: • Support with learning and homework • Assistance with sports and leisure activities • Help with cooking, housework, and shopping • Accompanying adolescents in individual settings and groups • Escorting to appointments at doctors, authorities, schools, courses, etc. • Providing activities to improve social skills of adolescents • Working in a team and supporting full-time colleagues, participating in team meetings, consultations, supervision, and training • Participation in social work projects Skills, abilities, and competencies to be acquired by the end of the volunteering: • Preparation and execution of sports and leisure activities • Handling youth groups and adolescents in individual settings • Experience in dealing with traumatized adolescents and refugees (in coercive contexts) • Practicing communication with people of other native languages who speak little German or English • Experience in independent interaction with professionals and institutions • Practice in teamwork and multiprofessional collaboration • Independent and responsible working 2. Volunteering in Donation Management & Logistics Requirements: • Enjoy working in an inclusive and diverse environment – people with different first languages from all over the world, often with refugee backgrounds • High flexibility for new challenges and changing tasks • Enjoy organization, creativity, and teamwork • Sense of humor, communicative, and self-reliant Detailed Tasks: • Collect, receive, sort, and distribute donations • Share current information via the website or messenger services • Prepare social media postings • Support in the preparation and execution of events • Run errands and make purchases • Office organization and administrative tasks (maintaining lists and databases, documentation, responding to email inquiries) • Work in a team and support full-time colleagues, participate in team meetings • Participate in social work projects Skills, abilities, and competencies to be acquired by the end of the volunteering period: • Experience in donation logistics (from marketing to distribution) • Knowledge in office organization and proficiency in Microsoft Office • Practice in teamwork and multiprofessional collaboration • Independent and self-reliant work 3. Volunteering WG Children and Adolescents (3-18 years) Requirements: • Interest in supporting traumatized children and adolescents • High flexibility for new challenges and changing tasks • Enjoyment of organization, creativity, and teamwork • Humor, empathy, and ability to reflect • Communication skills and sensitivity Detailed Tasks: • Supporting children and adolescents in their daily lives • Assisting with learning and homework • Supporting sports and leisure activities • Helping with tidying rooms and other household tasks, as well as shopping • Accompanying them to appointments (doctor, authorities, school, courses, etc.) • Providing activities to improve social skills for children and adolescents • Working in a team and supporting full-time colleagues, participating in team meetings, consultations, supervision, and training • Participating in Social Work projects Skills, abilities, and competencies to be acquired by the end of the volunteering: • Daily life support for children and adolescents • Interaction with children and adolescents in individual and group settings • Experience in working with traumatized children and adolescents (in a coercive context) • Experience in independent interaction with professionals and institutions • Practice in teamwork and multiprofessional collaboration • Independent and responsible work 4. Volunteering Basic Education (Participants: 15-28 years) Requirements: • Interest in (learning) support for young refugees • High flexibility for new challenges and changing tasks • Enjoyment of organization, creativity, and teamwork • Humor, empathy, and ability to reflect • Communication skills and sensitivity Detailed Tasks: • Supporting participants during the course (explaining assignments, guiding tasks, etc.) • Preparing small teaching sequences independently – especially in the areas of German, mathematics, ICT (information and communication technologies), and practical everyday skills, with support from course instructors • Working in a team and assisting course instructors during lessons, excursions, and outings; participating in team meetings, consultations, supervision, and training • Organizational and administrative tasks (creating minutes, maintaining lists and databases, documentation) • Handling purchases • Participating in social work projects Skills, abilities, and competencies to be acquired by the end of the volunteering: • (Learning) support for adolescents and young adults • Interaction with adolescents and young adults in individual and group settings • Experience in working with young, traumatized refugees, often without prior schooling • Experience in independently preparing teaching units • Practice in teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration • Independent and responsible work For all volunteer positions: Documentation & Quality Assurance: Working hours and tasks must be precisely documented. Regular (monthly) team meetings (intervisions) are held for quality assurance and mental health care. Evaluation & Feedback: Both full-time colleagues and supervisors provide direct feedback on the work of volunteers. Volunteers are also required to regularly evaluate and reflect on their work.Deadline: 30/06/2026 23:59