Since 2005 our association has hosted 2 volunteers a year within the European Voluntary Service,…

Since 2005 our association has hosted 2 volunteers a year within the European Voluntary Service, and so far we hosted more than 15 young volunteers from different European Countries. We usually cooperated in an Evs project, involving 4/5 EVS volunteers, adding an European and intercultural value to the Evs young volunteers group hosted each year. Our EVS (now ESC) projects are coordinated by CSV Insubria and we pay a great attention to the learning process and achievements of each selected volunteer. Youthpass is used both as training method ad as final evaluation and recognition of the learning experience. Our association main aim is the social integration of all citizens, with particular attention to people in situation of social exclusion, like disabled people, through service of training towards autonomy. We work on increasing the capacities, reinforcing the awareness, improving potentialities, rehabilitating and developing abilities towards autonomy. The objectives are: - "use what you are": personal growth and autonomy of each individual to encourage his social integration; - from "I'm here to help you" to "I'm here to work with you": cultural change of the relational style and of the concept of disability towards a collaboration that promotes and valorises the person. In our daily centre we host people with different types of disabilities that can be linked to different pathologies (oligofreny, genetic syndromes, post-traumatic syndromes, etc.) Our users have fragilities at physical and psychic level, and cognitive and personologic level. For the moment, La Finestra works with 62 users, aged 25 years old on average, that present a medium or medium-severe deficit. The staff is composed of one psychologist, one educational team (10 educators of various backgrounds and training), one art teacher, one psychomotricist, one administrative employee, various support persons, one civile service volunteer, 2 trainees and 50 volunteers. Regular activities are based on a rehabilitation action and on the evaluation of the abilities of each users. Our activities are organised in various workshops that aim to develop specific skills: assembly workshop, artistic and creative workshop, illustration workshop, swimming pool and gym, psychomotricity, expressive group activities, writing workshop, canteen, music activities, wood workshop, sense workshop, etc. The periodical activities of the association are: creation of Christmas decoration, sale of products made by the users, summer holidays, recreational activities, etc. Moreover the association organises cultural outings (for examples the users got to see a performance at the Theatre La Scala in Milano) and sport outings (for example basketball game with mixed teams, outing in sailboat on the lake of Varese). We experienced that the presence of Evs volunteers has contributed to give a European, intercultural approach to our activities, reinforces the European citizenship of all the people of our association, enlarges the European feeling of solidarity and brings new ideas, methods and suggestions to our activities. The volunteers have the opportunity to live a very strong experience at human level, and deepen their understanding about the importance of solidarity and voluntarism, develop key competences and skills related to the social work in the education and assistance sector. We look for volunteers interested in social engagement and solidarity, with a proactive and positive approach. No particular language skills are required.