Our principle: “We support integration” stands behind our work and our encounter with people with special needs. The key tasks of the Caritas (for people with disabilities) are encouragement and attendance for people with special needs through the integration process into everyday life. Through furtherance and attendance for children, young-adults and adults, it helps to relief families as well as education and help for occupational integration.

St. Isidor is a living placement for about 94 young persons, which are living in different houses with own educators with disabled pedagogy. On the area is next to the living area also a kindergarten, a after-school care centre, a treatment (Ambulatorium) and 3 special schools. In therapy, there are physical, psychological and occupational therapy, a therapy with horses is also be made.
Not only the children which are living in St. Isidor are visiting the kindergarten and the after school care centre also other one.

St. Isidor looks like a village. There is a church and around the church the children live. They visit the kindergarten, the school or make therapies. You can also find the management and the directors in this village.

Living
for children and young-adults with special needs in St. Isidor/Leonding,

Integrative kindergarten
small mixed age (also for children under 3 years) provide optimal conditions, in which children with different needs will individually accompanied

After school care centre
For children and young people of school age with and without interference

Therapy and advice
Ambulatorium St. Isidor with development-diagnostic and medical-therapeutically help
Integrative Horse-centre
Psychological advice, diagnostic and therapy
MEANDER – Health-support-project for family members of children and young-adults with special needs

Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria. It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately 30 km south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is 189 343 (2007), and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is 271 000.
Linz is very proud of its culture, which links the traditional to the contemporary. The Ars Electronica and the Brucknerfest are the main cultural events in this context. These diverse and ambitious cultural activities in our Land are also honoured by being nominated as “European capital of culture 2009”.

Kindergarten and after-school care centre:
an EVS has to do:
Kindergarten and after-school care centre educators in support of the daily work in special education
• organization of the daily routine (for food preparation, outputs, learning, ..)
• maintenance and care of disabled children on several difficult
• completing the educational requirements
• assist in the maintenance and care of materials

Expectations on EVS:
Interest in working with affected children and adolescents, acceptance and respect for the different living environment-related attitudes and behaviors of children. Value estimated at the end of communication, respect for personal boundaries, respectful handling prudence, willingness to help and act with "common sense". Willingness to reflect on one's own work ethic.
Furthermore we would like that the volunteer bring in his own culture. It is important that our children know other cultures. It would be nice to get some international flair in our work. In addition our children should develop comprehension of other cultures. A volunteer is also an enrichment for the whole team.
We would like that the volunteer shows our children his country maybe with a singing evening or with a special meal. In the kindergarten he can read stories or fairy tales. The creativity has no limits! Maybe our children will be an EVS volunteer!

To encourage volunteers in our organisation: St. Isidor is situated beyond Linz, so there is no noise and you can enjoy the family-like atmosphere.
Our staffs are skilled workers with disabled pedagogy. The knowledge and new ideas / creativity can be important for the volunteers. This can open a new perception. A change of social skills will improve both. Furthermore the EVS volunteer will be a part of the team, and he will not have any responsibility for the children!
What is the profile of volunteer candidates?

The EVS volunteer should have a good self-confidence and flexibility, open minded and of course no fear of people with disabilities!


• How will the volunteer(s) be selected among the candidates and how

It is important that the volunteer expresses his/her real motivation on the topic of the project.
 
• How are the volunteers' profile and interests matched with the activity?

We select volunteers together with the teams from our projects.

• If specific skills are required, please justify.

In the project there are no special skills required. Furthermore it is an asset that the volunteer has no fear of people with disabilities!

The contact person in the project for the volunteer has already experience for looking after volunteers and there will also be a network of all members working in St. Isidor.
If there is some crisis during the project, we start to solve them together in dialogues and discussions.
It also very important to have strong and honest cooperation between sending and hosting organisation. That will guarantee that volunteer have big support from both sides.