CARITAS of the Gdansk Archdiocese is a charity run by the Catholic Church which provides assistance to those who find themselves in particularly difficult life circumstances. Assistance is administered through professionally-run assistance centers (homes for the mentally and physically disabled, care and treatment homes, hospices, daycare facilities for children and teenagers, a training-and-holiday camp center, soup kitchen for the poor) and specific initiatives, either recurrent or one-time events (as demonstrated in current events such as disasters, wars, etc.) A wide resource base is provided by volunteers organized in three types of organizations: School Caritas Circles, Parish Caritas Teams and the Summer Action Youth Volunteers. In total, there are almost 2000 volunteers actively working with Caritas.

 

Social Economies in Poland is a rather new theme, as it is also for CARITAS. In November 2004 CARITAS of the Gdansk Archdiocese began the development of the “On the Wave” project within the EQUAL Community Initiative. The objective of the project is the elimination of discrimination towards long-term unemployed individuals, to improve their professional motivation, to develop small entrepreneurship (city development strategy with the objective of creating favorable conditions for the development of entrepreneurship in the city), social integration of persons at risk of exclusion through placement into the labor market, and developing direct social contacts with associations that provide services to the local community (including social services to the homeless, the elderly and the poor).

 

The Centre for Organization of Local Social Entrepreneurship focuses on the following categories of activities:

-       training (individual professional career plans preceded by workshops that strengthen personalities, motivation, etc.)

-       acquisition of practical skills such as: running a hostel, cafeteria and catering services, running a laundry, working in children and elderly care services.  

The objective of these activities is the placement of individuals in a professional activity within the area of services that meet the local needs of the community and that are in line with the city’s strategic development plans. 

 

The “On the Wave” Partnership hopes to create and develop a Polish Social Economic Model through the implementation of the Centre for Organization of Local Social Entrepreneurship.

 

Offices: Al. Niepodległości 632, 81-805 Sopot, POLAND