OTWARTE DRZWI

Winter Patrol

"Winter Patrol" is a new project of the Association "Open Door", directed at the homeless. His start date back to September 2010.

There are only estimate data of the problem of homelessness in Warsaw, but these are alarming. Trying to contribute to reducing this phenomenon Association intends to undertake a range of activities.

Persons covered by the project will be able to count on various forms of assistance, which ultimately should lead to a positive change in their life situation. Emergency aid is intended to be merely a step in the implementation of the homeless to a normal life, because only such a result can be considered satisfactory solution.

The Association has developed standards of work with homeless in the national program "Back of the homeless to community." This project contains a significant innovation. It involves the social work homeless people themselves for the environment of the homeless. The expected product is to create "Maps of homeless people in Warsaw."

Project participants will work aided by street workers to reach the needy people in their own environment. So there will be direct contact with the target group, which is often characterized by a low degree of confidence in the more institutionalized forms of assistance.

Selected from among participants of the project leaders will reach out with information and first aid directly to the community of people homeless. The task of this particular group - the Winter Patrol - will be direct contact with the homeless in places where they are staying. Winter Patrol Group will draw up a "map" of places of residence of homeless people in Warsaw. This map will serve to better diagnose the environmental situation of the homeless, which will contribute positively to effective planning forms of aid and increase its effectiveness. Winter Patrol will also cooperate with the police, municipal police station, hospitals and Centres of Social Welfare.

Moreover homeless people will be covered by a wide range of assistance offer, consisting of educational workshops and activation, which aimed to raise the wider social and professional competence. The Association will provide a range of support services: legal, psychological, therapeutic. Workshops will be conducted in the field of social communication, civics, and a lot of training and vocational courses.

The program provides employment and make a plan for personal and professional development by the participants.

Project funded by Regional Office of Mazovia