Members of this citizens action group are mostly parents of people with disabilities. In October 2005, this citizens action group also established Centrum Svitanie in Malacky.Dom Svitania is a sheltered workshop with the main task to provide work for disabled people. Further tasks are the support of people with handicap in working therapie, unregular leisure time and cultural activities. At the moment, there are about seventeen mildly disabled adults working in montage and packing, bookbinding, creative workshop and textile departments. In each department are assistants and masters of their section. The director of Dom Svitania has diploma of social pedagogic, the two masters are educated in textiles and arrangements, one assistant is educated in social work and the other two assistents have basic education. Furthermore there are helping about ten volunteers, who are family or friends from the disabled people. They support Dom Svitania in several practical work at home or for special events in Dom Svitania. Dom Svitania is also a place for families with disabled members to come to receive counselling and as much help as each case requires.The second institution, Centrum Svitanie, offers leisure time activities and a daily program in the morning for handicapped people, to prepare them for normal work. There are working three masters, who have diploma of social pedagogic, and two volunteers, who are students of social pedagogic.Untill now volunteers have left a positive impact at Dom Svitania. European volunteers have been integrated into the staff and have built good relationships with the clients. This made it possible for them to spend their free-time together happily and created a better atmosphere in the working place.Dom Svitania cooperates with local authorities and with their partner organisations abroad in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. They develop new methods of work with people with disabilities and their implementations.Jakubov is a village with about 1400 inhabitants located 10km from the Austrian border and also near to the Czech Republic. It is situated in the region Zahorie, 10km from the district town Malacky. There is a post office, church, some pubs and three small shops.The town Malacky is known for its English park, one of the oldest in Slovakia. In Malacky live about 20000 inhabitants. There are supermarkets, shops, bars, a small cinema and Friday evening-discothek. From Malacky, there is a good bus and train connection to Bratislava. The travel takes about 40 minutes.  

Dom Svitania is a non-profit organisation, which is only partially supported by a national fund. Through the help of volunteers, it is possible to go on with the work. Its an important experience for people with disabilities to work together with healthy people from abroad, to overcome language barriers and to integrate them into the community, as much as possible.
The same can be applied for the volunteers. They recieve many opportunities to develop through learning a new language and adjusting to the new culture and lifestyle. The volunteers need to be understanding and empathetic, along with creative and handworking.
The objective of the volunteer is, rather than simply serving, to cooperate and work together with the client. Not to do something for somebody, but to do something with somebody. In this position the volunteer becomes also a good role model.
The week of a volunteer could look like this:
Monday: Dom Svitania, Jakubov; work from 8.00 to 15.00 o clock, making Christmas cards; lunch is cooked in the schools kitchen from 11.45-12.15
Tuesday: individual support of people with mental handicap; going for a walk, playing, painting together, having lunch together; 9.00 to 14.00 o clock
Wednesday: Centrum Svitanie, Malacky, 9.00 to 15.00 o clock; talk about activities and feelings of clients, do ceramics, cook and eat lunch, go swimming
Thursday: Dom Svitania, Jakubov; 8.00 to 15.00 o clock, lunch from 11.45- 12.15; assembling iron parts for furniture in montage and packing
Friday: several acitivities; 9.00 to 11.00 helping people with special needs in Jakubov;
14.00 to 16.00 individual support of people with mental handicap, Malacky;
17.00 to 18.00 language course in Jakubov

There is also the possibility to organize one- or two-day trips to other sheltered workshops or protected living centers for clients from Dom Svitania.
Through the help of the volunteer it becomes possible for he/she to provide individual service for families.

The volunteer comes from a different country, social background and church denomination, but shares a desire to serve and grow. The volunteer needs to be open, willing to work with handicapped people, able to accept their special needs as well as to offer own ideas and experiences.