A. Project environment: profile of the organisation and local community
Sepólno Krajenskie is a small district town in the Pojezierze Krajenskie ( województwo kujawsko-pomorskie). It has a picturesque location with a lake and a beach surrounded by woods, which are an interesting touristic attraction. However wonderful the geographic conditions are, they do not reflect the economic and social conditions of the commune. Sepólno Krajenskie with its 10,000 inhabitants is at the edge of structural unemployment (approximately 23% of district population remains unemployed). There is little chance for the situation to improve. Nonetheless, much is being done in terms of voluntary work, such as taking care of disabled people. Much effort is being undertaken to ensure that young people have interesting alternatives for spending their leisure time.
In May 2001, the club "IKAS" (Integracyjny Klub Aktywnosci Spolecznej - Integration Club for Social Activity) was established. It is attached to the Dorosli - Dzieciom Association and brings together disabled young people and their peers, who are volunteers from schools in the local area. In December 2003, the Occupational Therapy Workshops were opened, with 30 disabled people from our commune attending it recently. There is also the Klub M³odych Twórców ( Young Creators' Club ) which, was established a few years ago. It is attached to Dorosli - Dzieciom association and brings together young active and creative-thinking people, who want to improve their lives, develop their capacities and make use of their potential. In June 2003, Mlodziezowe Centrum Wolontariatu (Youth Centre of Voluntarism) was added to activity of Young Creators' Club thanks to support of Narodowa Agencja Programu M£ODZIEZ (the National Agency of the Youth Program). Young volunteers spend their time working in the Therapeutical Community Centre, Special Care School, IKAS Club or in Occupational Therapy Workshop. The Youth Centre of Voluntarism is probably the only place in our town where young people may develop themselves and shape their positive attitude towards life. This place is like an antidote to the dull reality.

B. Proposed activities for EVS volunteers
The volunteers will be mainly working in two areas. The first one (I) will concern the organisation, management and concrete contribution to activities dealing with therapy of disabled people and/or children and teenagers with social problems; organisation leisure time activities for youth in Young Creators' Club. The second one (II) will mainly concern the organisation of leisure activities for the local community as a whole (including disabled and youth with difficult backgrounds).
Beside these two main branches of activities, both volunteers will be engaged in the process of learning Polish language and getting acquainted to Polish culture and traditions (III).
AREA I
" Ensuring tutorial care as well as care of other kind ( helping to prepare meals, to dress oneself, to make one's bed, to go for a walk, etc. ) to disabled people;
" Organising various classes for youth (art, sport, music classes etc.);
" Meeting with psycologists, socio-therapysts and tutors to discuss the situation of single cases as well as of the general group;
" Meeting with relatives and family members of children and teenagers with both physical and social disabilities;
" Taking care of the maintenance of wheelchairs and other supplies of fundamental importance for disabled.

AREA II
" Helping to break stereotypes ( extremely important in such small communities and required in the process of European integration );
" Organising leisure time activities for children and teenagers, including disabled, or with children from disfunctional families;
" Organising games and recreation for our target groups;
" Organising leisure time activities including picnics, bonfires or countryside visiting;
" Organising meetings about different issues potentially interesting for our target groups (movie nights; poetry nights; some sport tournment; social games; invite some guests; international cooking night, etc...)

AREA III

" Becoming acquainted with Polish culture and traditions through dialogue with members of the local community and participation in popular feasts and traditional events ;
" Attending Polish language classes.

Volunteers will have an opportunity to make use of their experience and contribute to solving problems. We expect them to be creative, open-minded, engaged in active participation in particular tasks. There will always be a co-ordinating person available at place who will be responsible for the stay of volunteers in our town and who will be ready to help them. Apart from the co-ordinator, there will be a whole group of people concerned with ensuring that the volunteers have the optimal conditions for self-development and willingness to make their stay a pleasent experience. Those are the members of institutions and establishments mentioned hereabove, as well as members of the Association Dorosli - Dzieciom ( socio- therapist, psychologists, tutors, members of Polish Psychologist Association - PTP ).
If volunteers want - in they leisure time - can participate in various classes organizing for young people in Young Creators' Club (art classes, pottery, sport, photography, journalism) or organize own classes for young people. If volunteers need - they can use Internet free in Commune Information Centre from 8.00 till 18.00.

C. Volunteer profiles and recruitment process
The target group is quite demanding, therefore we are looking for a patient and persistent person who enjoys challenges. The candidate should have a team spirit but also should be able to work independently. An advantage would be creativity and good organizational skills.
The Polish Robert Schuman Foundation as a coordinating organization will organize recruitment process. The information about the project will be published on "Youth Net Works" and "S.O.S. for EVS" websites as well as the partner organizations of The Polish Robert Schuman Foundation will be informed about it. Additionally, a maling list on the "EuroDesk" will be used. Different foreign organizations will send the best candidatures to the coordinating organization which together with The "Dorosli Dzieciom" Association workers will choose the best candidates. Our most important principle is to find the best candidates. That is why we don't have to cooperate with a organization that has a certain profile. The one and only thing we demand is the proffesionality.

E. Risk prevention, safety and protection
Because of the specific and difficult profile of the project we cannot host the volunteer aged under 18.
The volunteer will be always able to count on the support of the specialists, the staff and other volunteers. The volunteer will be acquainted with the work safety and hygiene as well as the rules and methods how to work with disabled adults and children from difficult backgrounds. All these means will undoubtedly prevent risks and crises.

Our main motivation to host foreign volunteers is to give young, active people from outside Poland an opportunity to make use of their knowledge in a mutually helpful way, an opportunity to test themselves in conditions which may be new to them, to gain some new experience, as well as to understand Polish traditions and the every day life of ordinary people in one of many alike towns in Poland.
We may perhaps contribute to breaking some stereotypes concerning Poland - deeply rooted in minds of people who might not have had much contact with our country - because even in these dark times in countries like Poland and in towns like Sepólno Krajenskie there is always something good to be done.
Our association would also benefit from hosting foreign volunteers. We would have an opportunity to acquaint ourselves with programs and activities undertaken by foreign organisations of the same type. We might profit from an "outsiders' perspective" on our problems. It would also be a great pleasure for us to host foreign volunteers.

The tasks of the Association Dorosli - Dzieciom are the following ones:

- undertaking activities aiming at improving conditions of development and growth of children and teenagers, including those with disabilities;
- organising and managing therapeutical institutions and activities, as well as educational, rehabilitative and integration programs for disabled;
- initiating and developing a process of integrating children and teenagers who come from difficult backgrounds into the local society;
- organising and managing activities connected with protection, therapy, rehabilitation and psychological-education of children and teenagers at school age, as well as disabled adults;
- organising leisure time activities for children and teenagers, including those with disabilities;
- instructing teachers, public service employees and members of other associations who work in children environment, including those with disabilities;
co-operating with local government and authorities as well as with representatives of the town and the region.