Os Amigos do Floco - Sabugal Volunteer Association

The Sabugal volunteer association "AMIGOS DO FLOCO" was born in the beginning of the year 2018 from a previous movement, an informal group of young people who gathered to raise toys for the children affected by the extreme fires in our country. The idea arose from the shortcomings seen during 2017 election campaign (of which some board members had listened to people's complaints about how they only looked for them and spoke at election’s time), I felt that we should always seek these people and always help them, not only in elections year, like is normal to occur in Portugal. Our Association was born of the desire to extend this help to other people, especially the poorest population of our region, since there was no association that did it and the social action of the social entities of the region can’t reach everywhere. Our aim is to reach out to situations of need, to seek in all corners of our municipality without ever neglecting situations outside of it. We want to help those who need it, not only at the level of goods but also company that here being a population so old is what is most needed. We already had made some fundraising events, we have been ed several times to intervene in delicate situations with disadvantage people of Sabugal. All our structure and performance of the tasks of associative support is ensured by volunteers and volunteers without recourse to contractually contracted employees. We have already donated clothes to families with many needs, to a new born baby, whose parents did not have nothing for his arrival and not even the slight support from the family. We donated a washing machine a short time ago to a lady with serious problems of sustainability and health we continue with this case so that the municipality helps in the reconstruction of this family house that has many problems. We have a warehouse full of goods and clothes that have been donated to us. Formed by citizens who intend to collaborate actively in the achievement of solidarity objectives, they do not generate specific social equipment or programs. We work in collaboration with other IPSS or with public services or establishments. Our association could be integrated by persons over 16 years of age, and their activity is exercised through agreements with the institutions or services receiving the support. The law provides that the agreements, in return for cooperation, lay down the task of providing appropriate training to volunteers. The repeated and serious non-compliance of the agreements is a motive - along with others common to most IPSS - that can lead to the extinction of voluntary associations of social action. This type of associations is very useful in the development of social volunteering. By grouping together to ensure a common culture and a healthy group spirit, members can collaborate in an organized way, without management tasks for which they are not generally prepared and which involve more difficult and complex responsibilities. An important component of «AMIGOS DO FLOCO» mission is the creation of multiplier agents. Examples of this are workshops and specific training actions targeting teachers, other local associations, more experienced youth, or even youth workers. Let´s check some of our projets; Healthy Conversations: The Healthy Conversations project had its origin in an identified problem: the loneliness of elderly people and informal caregivers leading to the exclusion of important health information. In order to minimize this problem, the project uses health education, interaction and socializing as a space for people to listen and to be heard, to share doubts, concerns and experiences about their health, thus combating the isolation and the loneliness. So in this project we want people to feel enlightened at the end of the sessions and to take with them new learning and, above all, good memories of well past times, between conversations, laughter, interaction and the feeling that they have been heard and understood. Right Direction: We believe that friendship is a company that reduces loneliness, a bond that unites us and guides us. In the Right Directions Project the volunteers are the friend who, free of judgments or prejudices, is always available to support, listen, guide, share the joys and relieve the sorrows. We accompany children or young people who, regardless of reason, feel lonely, excluded, unmotivated, aimless. To this end, we develop playful and pedagogical activities that promote their well-being, self-esteem, autonomy and (re-) discovery and development of tastes and talents. It is also important for us to avoid dropping out of school, so when necessary we integrate school monitoring activities into our sessions. Together we walk new paths and discover new paths!