According to the studies from the Eurobarometer, as well as data collected by the Central Statistical Office of Poland, Poland takes one of the last places on the list of European countries that measures long-term participation in volunteering programs among their citizens.

Our project will be implemented in Chęciny and Nowiny municipalities (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship). According to the analysis published in the “Development Strategy for Sitkówka-Nowiny Municipality through 2025,” the municipality struggles with low civic engagement among its citizens and would like to take action to change that.

We will address these problems by creating a Local Volunteering Centers in each of the municipalities. We will involve every interested individual, local NGOs, schools, and municipality offices. We will hold a number of meetings during which we will compose a list of partners and a strategy document for the centers. The project will also include a series of trainings in volunteering for selected individuals. These select few will later plan and implement programs through the center with the help from designated coordinators, such as integration retreats for both centers, and local campaigns. Both centers will have an opportunity for their members to meet and get to know each other, exchange experiences and ideas and plan working visits to organizations with a lot of volunteering experience. We will also organize the Municipal Volunteer’s Day that we will pair with a gala celebrating the most engaged and active participants. Finally, we will organize an event that will serve as a summary of the work done by all the involved parties and will watch a film about the value of local volunteering.

The Assumpt Association based in Chęciny is the project partner. The association has the human and other resources, as well as a well-developed contact database necessary for the project’s success.