“Pentru Voi” Foundation created in June 2007 a protected unit with the goal of employing as many persons with intellectual disabilities as possible. The project “A friend for YOU” implemented by “Pentru Voi” Foundation won Thursday evening the award “The best public volunteer campaign”, with the occasion of the People for People Gala Awards 2009.
The project consisted in the creation of a friendship relationship between a mentor – volunteer and a disciple – person with intellectual disability. 35 people living in Timisoara proved to be open and without any prejudice and got involved in this project offering 4 hours per month of their spare time in order to spend quality time close to a person with intellectual disabilities. Thus, the lives of 35 people with intellectual disabilities have significantly changed: they discovered new things, met new people, won a true friend and because of all these, the need of belonging and being appreciated is no longer so painful.
“The project is impressive not only because its complexity, but because it approaches a usually neglected domain, that of human relationships. In order to socially integrate people with intellectual disabilities we need good laws, international conventions, investment in quality social services, but we also need a community open to the idea of social inclusion, a community which accepts and cherishes the differences and people overcome their fears and prejudice and feel solidary with their disabled co-citizens”, declared Laila Onu, the CEO of “Pentru Voi” Foundation.
The thirty five volunteers, their families and friends have learned how much joy can bring only 4 hours per month dedicated to a friend with disabilities. Also, they convinced themselves that people with disabilities can live within the community, can be good friends and neighbors and their segregation in institutions must stop once and for all also in Romania.
One of the volunteers involved in this project declared: “I became a mentor because I wanted to give. I didn’t realize I would receive so much!” The project was awarded in 2006 with a special distinction during the Romanian PR Awards.
The “People for the People” Gala is a national competition and an event which awards social involvement of companies, citizens and NGOs. The event, reaching its sixth edition, was organized by the Communitarian Relationships Association in partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania. This year were submitted 118 projects with a total value of 27 400 000 Euros, in comparison with 11 000 000 Euros, the value of the precedent edition.
Among the winners of this year’s Gala we mention: The intervention with the greatest impact in the community through a sponsorship offered by a company: Unicredit Tiriac for Cicloteque; The Award for Coherence in Community Involvement Strategy – Petrom; The best program for corporative volunteering: United Way Romania - Genpact Volunteers; The best communitarian program: Reality - Romania develops Roots; The best fund-raising campaign: Habitat for Humanity for the campaign "Again at shelter"; The Individual Donner of 2008: Dinu Patriciu for "Invent your future!".
The complete list of winners can be accessed at http://gala.arcromania.ro/
