Continuing with our previous entry, today we will tell you about the projects we are collaborating with. We hope they are of your interest and that you feel encouraged to join in.
Fundación Madrina (Godmother Foundation).
This is a non-profit entity. Since 2000, it has been working with women, maternity, childhood and health, focusing on protecting and aiding women and their maternity, taking action in the areas of social care, health, job training and accompanying young pregnant women. All of these women are unfortunately in a borderline situation of social exclusion.
What do they do? They work in several fields, ranging from the “Programa Madre(Mother Programme)” to house and accompany mothers and pregnant women without resources and in difficult situations, providing support and company, through godmothers, godmother homes, nursery and job homes, so they can live independently with their babies, to volunteer programmes adapted to the different areas the Foundation works in.
How are we collaborating? On one hand, last 11 May, on International Children’s Date, we did so on-site at the Foundation. For the second year in a row, we did so with the creation of the Entrepreneurial Workshop, as a training space for entrepreneurship where we teach the tailor profession, encouraging self-sustenance for the family, which means acquiring material and hiring a teacher, grants for transport passes so students can attend the workshop, and last, but not least, lovely volunteers, represented by what they call Godmothers/fathers
Fundación Menudos Corazones (What a Heart Foundation)
The Fundación Menudos Corazones is a non -profit entity whose purpose is to conduct programmes and activities to improve the quality of life for children and youth with congenital heart issues and for their families.
What do they do? They have spent over 15 years helping children with heart issues and their families. They offer lodging near the hospital to families with children undergoing long-term treatment, they conduct activities for hospitalised children, such as music, workshops, games, etc., they provide psychological support during treatment, and grief support for both children and their families, they have what they call “just like at home” rooms at certain hospitals, and have taken care of over 19,000 people in 2016.
How will we collaborate? Volunteer work in the educational-entertainment activities that Menudos Corazones coordinates at hospitals in Madrid, designed to alleviate the collateral effects of hospital stays on minors coming for heart surgery, on their cognitive development, on their emotional stability and on their family relationships. Crafts, story-telling…LET THEM FORGET ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS FOR A WHILE!!; with a workshop (with training given by the Foundation, in groups with maximum 5-6 people, always accompanied by a teacher) and economic aid from Arrabe Integra.
Fundación Desarrollo y Asistencia (Development and Assistance Foundation)
Desarrollo y Asistencia is an NGO that conducts programmes to accompany people who are in situations of need due to loneliness, illness, exclusion, disability or other reasons. It began in December 1995, when a group of retired friends, moved by a desire to live in Christian brotherhood, wanted to continue to activity participate in society, contribute to the common good and the dignity of people. Open to all and with respect for freedom, many more people joined, creating a charitable space where people are at the heart of their activity.
What do they do? They have different accompaniment programmes, ranging from hospitals, the elderly in their homes or at retirement homes, professional insertion, the homeless or the disabled.
How can we collaborate? They offer different alternatives, but we selected the programme “Mentoring for a Job,” which consists of accompanying and providing guidance in an active search for employment and insertion on the job market for the homeless or those in situations of exclusion. They are individually supported by a volunteer mentor with experience in HR who conducts their professional activity in the corporate world, with face-to-face assistance from the mentor and weekly check-ups on Friday afternoons at the Juan Luis Vives Shelter. This guidance is complemented by joint attendance to group workshops, either with specialised content related to an active search for employment, or psycho-social in nature, helping to reinforce independence and personal skills. This is a beautiful mentoring task that lasts six months.
We are filled with pride that the response of those of us here at Arrabe Integra was so wonderful. So much so that, while it originally seemed difficult to select a project to focus on out of all the great alternatives, the commitment, involvement and desire felt by all of us only gave us one choice out of all three exciting ones.
Whether you are an SME, Freelance, a Family Company or a Multinational, if you put your heart in it, there’s no end in sight.
