Service Volontaire International

About the local hosting organizationCaritas 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.

Presentation of the programmeHave you ever considered living, working, and exploring one of Europe's cultural capitals for six months? Plovdiv is the oldest livable city in the world, where you can explore different cultures. You will work with the team of Caritas Sofia and our volunteers and serve the community of Plovdiv and the municipality of Kuklen. In Plovdiv, you will work with the Community Support Center in Kuklen, we work with at-risk children and their parents and relatives living in the Kuklen municipality. As a volunteerof Caritas Sofia and our volunteer program in Plovdiv! We seek innovative and dedicated individuals who can use their talent and creativity to promote our cause and inspire others to join us. As a Volunteer , you will work closely with our team to promote the benefits of volunteering, encourage community involvement and support the development of volunteer programs. Do not apply unless you can not commit to the precise date of the position.

Local accommodationCaritas Sofia will provide accommodation in a one room apartment. All the costs for rent, electricity, water and internet are covered. The organization will transfer the participants' monthly pocket money and food allowances to the bank account in EUR. Participants with fewer Opportunities under certain circumstances will classified for additional support.

About the leisure activities possibleTraining such as language support will be provided through the OLS, and additional on-site training (e.g. safeguarding). In addition, volunteers will have the opportunity to take part in various personal development trainings based on their interests. They will gain hands-on experience, learning from our specialists while developing social, technical, and organizational skills. Volunteers will also become familiar with Caritas safeguarding standards and gain knowledge in a range of areas depending on their role

RequirementsThe Participant profile: Social orientation and sharing of the values of Caritas Sofia; Humanities education or other relevant experience; Personal experience as a volunteer; Excellent command of English and one other language; Communication and social skills; Good computer skills and experience using social media Above all, we are looking for people who are committed to the full duration of the project and who are eager to make a positive impact while gaining valuable personal and professional experience.
Deadline:

Extra info about the projectThe 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.

Price descriptionProjects from the european commission are free for volunteers

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