In Bolesławiec County, the people who devote themselves to the good of others are a treasure. To recognize their efforts, the Volunteer of the Year of Bolesławiec County competition and an annual gala are organized, during which exceptional people are honored in the following categories: youth volunteer, adult volunteer, donor, occasional volunteering, non-governmental organization, and big-hearted volunteer.
This year, the statuette in the youth volunteer category was received by Mateusz Sobczak, while Zuzanna Dzięgiel received an honorable mention.
The adult volunteer award went to Beata Janiec. Honorable mentions in this category were awarded to Monika Grygorcewicz and Beniamin Marek.
The winner in the occasional volunteering category was Adam Werla together with students of Zespół Szkół Mechanicznych w Bolesławcu.
In the non-governmental organization category, Fundacja CzaSami triumphed. Józef Skóra was the laureate in the donor category.
In this year’s edition of the competition, Barbara Smoleńska was named big-hearted volunteer.
Profiles of all the winners and nominees are presented below:
ADULT VOLUNTEER
WOJCIECH GĄSIENIEC has supported children and young people with intellectual disabilities since 2014 and provides financial assistance to Klub Olimpiad Specjalnych „Olimpijczyk” w Bolesławcu. Thanks to his commitment and support, club athletes participate in regional, national and international competitions, where they achieve numerous victories. Laureate of the 2022 Volunteer of the Year of Bolesławiec County award in the Donor category.
BENIAMIN MAREK has devoted himself to community work since childhood. He was a councilor of the Youth Council of Bolesławiec. He has always been involved in scouting, where he has been a scout instructor for eight years; he currently serves as commander of Związek Drużyn Lawina. He is deeply committed to every task he undertakes. He devotes all his time to ensuring that children and young people can spend their free time actively while developing social and patriotic attitudes. Exceptionally cheerful and joyful, he always shares his knowledge and skills. His passion is music and playing the guitar. He also shares this skill by running a scout channel on YouTube. He is active in the headquarters of Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy, managing the scouts who participate in the annual campaign, as well as in events marking National Independence Day. He was honored with the Silver Badge of Merit for Chorągiew Dolnośląska ZHP. He is valued and liked by everyone. He is someone people can always count on.
JOLANTA I ANDRZEJ JEŻOWIE have been involved in community work for many years, supporting both people with disabilities and older people. They organize meetings and integration trips for them. They are involved in the work of Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Dzieci and Koło Pomocy Dzieciom i Młodzieży Niepełnosprawnej Ruchowo.
ADAM ŁEŃSKI has supported Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy in Bolesławiec for many years together with the BC RALLY TEAM BOLESŁAWIEC crew. He organizes rides in rally cars for people wishing to support WOŚP.
ANDRZEJ JANIEC is a volunteer with Stowarzyszenie „Po Stronie Mieszkańców”. He works in IT, is also a beekeeper, and is active in Polski Związek Pszczelarski. Mr. Andrzej is involved in numerous nationwide projects through which he encourages young people to participate in community life.
MONIKA GRYGORCEWICZ is a teacher who skillfully combines her duties with educational work and charity campaigns. She involves successive generations of her students, instilling in them the idea of selfless assistance to those in need. The beneficiaries of her volunteer campaigns are people in difficult life situations—mainly children. She is also not indifferent to the fate of sick and homeless animals or the damaged natural environment.
IGNACJA KISIELEWSKA-MAUNDER has supported a group of children from foster families in Bolesławiec County for several years, enabling them to learn English free of charge at the Painted Bird language school in Bolesławiec. Ms. Iga also involves the lecturers she employs in volunteer work.
STANISŁAW ŻÓŁTAŃSKI has been actively involved for many years in Ochotnicza Straż Pożarna w Gierałtowie, where he also initiated a youth and children’s movement. He organizes various events directly related to firefighting, training, and participation in fire and rescue sports competitions, which bring the community together and strengthen it.
ŻANETA ZAWADA actively promotes foster families and provides necessary assistance to those in their care. She organizes specialists and manages registration for people seeking help at Poradnia Rodzinna EFFATA. She is a member of the Interdisciplinary Team in Bolesławiec dealing with cases of domestic violence.
KAZIMIERZ CHUDYGA has been a member of Bolesławiecki Klub Amazonek for years. He participates in the Club’s activities and supports its work. He helps prepare rehabilitation equipment, oversees repairs, and takes part in nearly every activity carried out by the association.
BEATA MONIKA JANIEC – Volunteering holds a very important place in Ms. Beata’s life. She strives to instill this idea in the young people she works with daily as an educator. She has an exceptional ability to engage young people in activities intended to help others. She makes young people aware of how important it is to give something of oneself to a person in need. For several years, she has worked with Bolesławieckie Stowarzyszenie Amazonek, supporting campaigns organized by the association together with her students. Every year, together with students from Zespół Szkół Budowlanych w Bolesławcu, she takes part in Bolesławiecki Dzień Walki z Rakiem. As part of intergenerational dialogue between young people and seniors, she has organized meetings between young people and residents of Dzienny Dom Senior + w Bolesławcu for several years. Each year, together with her students, she actively participates in organizing Powiatowy Opłatek dla Osób Niepełnosprawnych. Together with the In Gremio association, she organizes campaigns for patients of Wojewódzki Szpital dla Nerwowo i Psychicznie Chorych w Bolesławcu. She devotes herself passionately to helping others, initiating and conducting various collections to support people in difficult life situations.
TADEUSZ WRÓBEL is a member of Bolesławiecki Klub Amazonek. He supports the Club both during difficult moments and celebrations. In 2023, he made a huge jug himself, which accompanied the Amazons during the parade at Bolesławieckie Święto Ceramiki.
ANNA PRONKIEWICZ has supported people with intellectual disabilities for more than 15 years. She carries out numerous initiatives and projects supporting students and their families. She is also involved in broadly understood volunteer work opposing discrimination and exclusion.
YOUTH VOLUNTEER
ZUZANNA DZIĘGIEL is a student at I Liceum Ogólnokształcące w Bolesławcu. She has become known as a person exceptionally committed to volunteer work in virtually every form. The charity concert “Dla Jagody” is Zuzanna’s own project, for which she involved young people, artists, musicians, and dancers. Thanks to this initiative, the Jagoda named in the title received financial and psychological support. Zuzanna is someone who, as her friends emphasize, inspires enthusiasm. She often says that small gestures, empathy, and good deeds can change the world. Zuzanna devoted herself to the concert and fundraiser for Paweł, who needed help. This initiative also ended in success. Zuzanna has an artistic soul and remarkable creative intuition, which is why all cultural events organized for worthy causes have extraordinary energy and an individual character. In addition to organizing these events, Zuzanna also supports all of them with her great musical talent, playing instruments and singing. She is a co-organizer and participant in the charity “Zielony koncert”, Bolesławiec’s “Dni Zdrowia Psychicznego”, and many other initiatives helping others, both at her school and throughout the county.
MATEUSZ SOBCZAK is a graduate of II Liceum Ogólnokształcące w Bolesławcu. Mateusz has become known as a young man who carries out every undertaking he takes on with great commitment. He essentially divides all his time between his studies, in which he achieves very good results, and spreading good throughout our community. The reach and scope of his charitable work are impressive, especially for someone so young. It is difficult to list all of Mateusz’s activities, but it is worth emphasizing that he is the organizer and co-founder of the School Volunteer Club operating at II Liceum Ogólnokształcące w Bolesławcu. He created an active group of young people and teachers who took part with him in many aid campaigns. Examples include events marking World Suicide Prevention Day and “Festyn dla Jasia”, in whose organization Mateusz was heavily involved. Promoting patriotic and pro-social values is also important in Mateusz’s work, as demonstrated by his very active participation in the “Szkoła do Hymnu” and “Sprzątamy dla Polski” campaigns. He participated in organizing holiday aid activities for children from Ukraine, serving as Santa Claus. He is also deeply involved in the annual organization of Powiatowy Opłatek dla Osób Niepełnosprawnych. Mateusz creates many opportunities intended to help others and make people aware of how important such help is.
BARBARA FECYK is the commander of Szczep Harcerski HUBAL Związku Harcerstwa Polskiego w Bolesławcu. She is excellent at gathering people around her, motivating other instructors, and infecting them with her positive energy. Basia is deeply committed to what she does.
SCHOOL VOLUNTEER CLUB – At Zespół Szkół Ogólnokształcących i Zawodowych w Bolesławcu, this is a group of young people united by determination, enthusiasm, and perseverance. The concept of “impossible” does not exist for them; some activities may simply require more effort or time. They can independently seek support for their initiatives and involve others in the idea of volunteering.
DONOR
JÓZEF SKÓRA is exceptionally committed to promoting sport and healthy lifestyles. This likely stems from his understanding of the importance of sport in shaping pro-social attitudes among young people. Mr. Józef devotes most of his time and financial resources to improving opportunities for children and local residents to spend their free time in his hometown and its surrounding area. He personally helps organize sports and extracurricular activities for children and young people. He purchases sports equipment and, through his own hard physical work, significantly contributes to improving the sports infrastructure at the stadium in Zebrzydowa. He also participates in various charity campaigns and the organization of material assistance, and helps establish contact between people needing support and the appropriate institutions.
NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
FUNDACJA CZASAMI was established in 2021 on the initiative of therapists in response to the needs of families of people with disabilities. The Foundation’s main project is “OdpoczywaMy aktywnie”, which includes therapeutic workshops for children and young people with intellectual and physical disabilities. It is the only non-governmental organization that organizes respite trips for mothers of children with disabilities. The Foundation’s activities focus primarily on supporting children and their families in difficult life situations, equalizing their opportunities, and preventing social exclusion. Their motivation for everything they do is the finest reward they can receive—the smile of a child with a disability.
FUNDACJA „WSPIERAJMY ZDROWIE” is an organization whose members are exceptionally dedicated and committed employees of Szpital św. Łukasza w Bolesławcu. They devote their free time to various events related to supporting and promoting health and a healthy lifestyle.
KLEKUSIOWO – OŚRODEK REHABILITACJI DZIKICH ZWIERZĄT works for wild, injured, homeless, and abandoned animals. Klekusiowo’s employees care for those in their care with great dedication and love. They never refuse help, including veterinary care.
STOWARZYSZENIE NASZA KRZYŻOWA organizes two nationwide events every year: TURNIEJ RYCERSKI and OFF ROAD PARTY. The association’s members also carry out other initiatives, such as historical evenings and culinary workshops. They raise funds themselves to finance these activities.
ORLEN FOUNDATION VOLUNTEERS are logistics employees of ORLEN SA who have supported the activities of Olimpiady Specjalne na Dolnym Śląsku for people with disabilities for many years. They travel from various parts of Poland to organized volunteer campaigns. Their work demonstrates complete professionalism.
OCCASIONAL VOLUNTEER
BOLESŁAWIEC HEADQUARTERS OF WIELKA ORKIESTRA ŚWIĄTECZNEJ POMOCY is a group of people associated with organizing the WOŚP finale in Bolesławiec, which has raised nearly one million złoty since 2018. During the pandemic, the headquarters sewed masks, adapted diving masks for medics throughout Poland, and cooked and delivered meals to hospital employees, the Police, and the Fire Service.
JAKUB ANDUŁA TOGETHER WITH THE RESIDENTS OF POWIATOWY MŁODZIEŻOWY OŚRODEK WYCHOWAWCZY W IWINACH are very hardworking and kind young people who are not indifferent to the fate of others. They have a great desire to help families in need. For five years, they have actively and fully committed themselves to helping Szlachetna Paczka volunteers in Bolesławiec during the Weekend of Miracles.
ADAM WERLA TOGETHER WITH THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY OF ZESPÓŁ SZKÓŁ MECHANICZNYCH W BOLESŁAWCU organizes collections of donations for soldiers who fought during World War II and who today often live alone and in difficult conditions as part of the “Paczka dla Bohatera” campaign. He involves school students in making holiday cards, which also go to veterans. Together with young people, he has cared for the graves of Warsaw Uprising insurgents for many years. Through his conduct, Mr. Adam “infects” young people, sensitizing them to matters important to the homeland, such as remembering heroes. The campaigns organized by Mr. Adam make young people aware that heroes are not only found in the pages of books, but also in their hometown.
FOREMKA CHILDREN’S ANIMATION CENTER – MS AGATA NIKODEM has been cooperating with children’s homes in Bolesławiec for several months, organizing games and competitions for the children in their care. During this year’s Integration Picnic held to mark Foster Family Day, Ms. Agata ensured a pleasant atmosphere by creating a joyful event environment.
ZWIERZOGRÓD – ANIMAL HOTEL – The hotel’s founders and employees have been helping and caring for abandoned dogs, cats, and birds for years, providing them with decent living conditions, specialized food, and veterinary care. They put their whole hearts into their work to help animals that have been harmed.
BOLESŁAWIEC CATS are a group of female volunteers involved in round-the-clock care for abandoned, homeless, and sick cats. Over the past 10 years, thanks to them, thousands of animals have found new homes, regained their health, or passed away peacefully. The group’s work is based on saving every life, even the smallest one.
BIG-HEARTED VOLUNTEER
BARBARA SMOLEŃSKA is an extraordinary person whose attitude and activities strengthen ties with our compatriots in the former eastern territories of the Second Polish Republic. Her personal effort in preserving traditions, bringing Kresy residents together and involving them, as well as involving young people in various initiatives preserving the memory of people and their deeds in the struggle for independence during and after World War II, is invaluable. It is thanks to her work that “Mogiła Pradziada ocaleje od zapomnienia”.