The first stage of the Poviat Centre for Education and Staff Training’s “Volunteering as a Path to Activity” project ended—not by coincidence!—on 4 December, on the eve of Volunteer Day, in the conference room of the Poviat Starosty Office. That day, the participants in the initiative received certificates from Cezariusz Rudyk, director of PCEiKK.
The workshops were aimed at students of Bolesławiec lower-secondary and upper-secondary schools. Their goal was to encourage young people to work on their personal development and oppose apathy, nihilism and irresponsibility for their views and behaviour. The tremendous response to the initiative once again confirmed that the young people of Bolesławiec (though not only them, as the project also included people from Lubań, Gryfów and Zielona Góra) are mature and socially sensitive.
During the first stage, the project participants learned about issues related to volunteering not only in theory, but also in practice. Some of the young volunteers helped Jadwiga Bobek of the Society of Friends of Children collect food. Others worked under the supervision of Danuta Zielińska of the Polish Red Cross. During the second stage of the training, which will begin next year, volunteers will have further placements in addition to practical work with TPD and PCK, including at the Bolesławiec Children’s Home and the community centre at the Parish of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bolesławiec. The young people will also help organise the next Blues nad Bobrem festival.
Path to Activity
The idea of volunteering was discussed extensively during Tuesday’s ceremony. Rev. Józef Hupa of the Parish of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus pointed out that a volunteer must be a slightly crazy person, a restless spirit—someone who is not afraid of challenges and has 1,000 ideas a minute. He also stressed that it is important not to let oneself be exploited in such work. Danuta Zielińska, meanwhile, drew attention to the fact that volunteering is not only about giving, because such work enriches one’s personality and, importantly, is highly valued in the West.
As long as there are people in need, there will be demand for this kind of work—voluntary, unpaid and selfless, yet often highly rewarding. That is why Cezariusz Rudyk certainly does not intend to stop at the “Volunteering as a Path to Activity” project. “We want to be able to establish a volunteer centre in Bolesławiec,” says the PCEiKK director. The centre would bring together Bolesławiec associations and train 50 volunteers a year. The project to establish the institution is essentially ready. Now everything depends on whether local authorities and the Polish Red Cross support its implementation.
Why is it worth training volunteers? “You have to believe in people. At the moment, we are filled with wonderful energy, but one day we may also need another person’s help,” explains Cezariusz Rudyk. “The most important thing is that our volunteers do not lose their natural desire to help others.”
(GA information)