The most important part of preparing for the Christmas markets is having a clear plan for how to put the donations to good use.
The cause we’re supporting at the markets this Christmas is to help young people leaving care to obtain their identity documents. The first identity card is issued at the age of 14 and expires at 18 – just when many young people are leaving care. Whilst they are in a family-style accommodation centre, there are adults there who can take them to the relevant office and pay for the renewal.
However, once they leave the centre, they have to manage on their own.
Our plan is to work with partner foundations that support children in family-type accommodation centres to create a schedule for young people leaving care. Some of them will have volunteers with whom they have become friends; for the others, we will find volunteers. The volunteers’ role is to accompany them to the passport office, help them obtain their personal identification number from the National Social Security Institute (NOI) or the National Revenue Agency (NAP), assist with changing their GP, finding a dentist, as well as writing a CV, a cover letter and applying for jobs. In other words, a starter pack for independent living.
We have started to draw up the tasks, and next week we have meetings with partners.
We’re also working towards the goal of employing people with special needs. The Ministry of Social Affairs has sent us information about various programmes we can take advantage of, but from there on we’re on our own. However, one of the subsidised recruitment programmes has been put on hold, so we may have to wait at least six months until further funding is released.
Until then, we’ll do what we can.
The new Lafetki series will be off the press tomorrow, and we may be able to start fulfilling orders as early as 9 November. Follow Lafetki on Facebook and Instagram to see the new questions 😎