volunteers of the Long Term Volunteer Program. What is the Regional Volunteer Center in Kielce?

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1 Who are we?

2 What is the Regional Volunteer Center in Kielce? volunteers of the Long Term Volunteer Program. The Volunteer Center houses the only branch of the library of the Polish National Federation of Non- Governmental Organizations. We take an active part in the efforts to establish a Youth City Council in Kielce. The Volunteer Center in Kielce is a member of the Polish Council of Youth Organizations, Municipal Public Benefit Works Council and the Polish National Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations. We are also a Public Benefit Organisation. This is an association which acts as an intermediary between organizations in need of voluntary help and individuals who wish to provide their assistance. We prepare both sides for cooperation by organizing trainings on legal and practical aspects of volunteer work. We offer our experience, advise and inspiration for actions. The Center's projects are of a very wide range. We work with institutions active on various fields, such as culture, social welfare, sports, education and environment. We organize and promote events related to these areas and help to engage volunteers. We encourage youth to be active by promoting civic and social engagement. The needs are great and those in need for help continuously outnumber those willing to help. The Volunteer Center is also a Regional Training Center of the "Youth in Action" Programme in Świętokrzyskie and Opole provinces. It is a sending organization for EVS volunteers and regularly hosts the LEARN MORE! Take a look at our website! Our mission The mission of the Volunteer Center determines our course of action. It has been developed jointly by members of the organization.

3 MORE THAN 1000 TRAINED VOLUNTEERS IN SWIETOKRZYSKIE REGION 80 VOLUNTEERS WORKING ON,,THE DAY OF KIELCE IN VOLUNTEER SENT ABROAD TO EUROPEAN VOLUNTEER SERVICE PROJECTS 6 LOCAL VOLUNTEER CENTER PONIT ON OF THE MOST RECONGNISABLE ORGANISATION IN OUR REGION MORE THEN A 1100 FANS ON FACEBOOK 15 DIFFERENT PROJECTS REALISED YEARLY 16 YEARS OF WORKING WITH NO BREAK FIRST NGO LIBRARY IN THE REGION 500 NEWSLETTER RECEIVERS WEEKLY 13 AGE OF THE YOUNGEST VOLUNTEER 81 AGE OF THE OLDEST VOLUNTEER

4 The mission of the Regional Volunteer Center in Kielce is to inspire and stimulate the civic engagement and volunteering for the social development. Our operations adhere to the spirit of dialogue, guided by the principles of respect for human rights, sustainable development and the idea of common good. History The idea to create a place that would bring together volunteers was born in The employees of the The Świętokrzyskie Center of Foundation in Support of Local Democracy became interested in the idea of volunteer activities during a study visit to the United States. This prompted a verification of the needs of local non-governmental organizations for the expected volunteers. The organizations most frequently need volunteers to work in the field of social assistance. As a result of consultations with civil society organizations and local authorities, the Volunteer Center was established as one of the ŚC FSLD programs. The first measures for the activity in 1997 were received from the foundation of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. At that time we made contact with the Center in Warsaw, which provided us with substantive information about the basic structure of the Center and the conditions under which it operates. We started the cooperation with Volunteer Centers in Poland. Initially, the activities of the Volunteer Center in Kielce were irregular. We participated in the nationwide events, including the The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity and Action Hope of Polish Humanitarian Action. We coorganized a number of charity events for the benefit of non-governmental organizations: fundraising, musical concerts, festivals, Special Olympics. The Association is still willing to engage in events organized by other organizations and institutions. In 2005 we decided to register the association. In the period the organization implemented a number of projects and consolidated its position as a regional center for volunteerism and support for NGOs. In 2010 the association changed management and developed a new strategy for the development of the organization. Association changed its registered office and started working at the national and international level. In 2011 the organization welcomed the first volunteers from foreign countries and the first young, active people were sent abroad for the volunteer projects. At the end of the year 2011 we received the status of a public benefit organization. In 2012 the association became a founding member of the Polish Council of Youth Organizations, a member of the Polish National Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations and involved in the establishment of the Council of Non-Governmental Activities in Kielce. That year was also marked with the move to a new location on the corner of Zdrojowa and Winnicka, the development of the third sector library, the beginning of the city and sport volunteering activities and the establishment of five new local Volunteer Centers.

5 Regionalne Centrum Wolontariatu w Kielcach ul. Zdrojowa 19/1a Kielce kontakt@centrumwolontariatu.eu Tel KRS