FEAD 2018 Catalogue of case studies

Croatia – Tackling economic vulnerability through volunteering opportunities Zadar Archdiocese Caritas Images © Danijela Stipanić Graf, 2017 WHY? In the Zadar County, poverty is a severe and highly visible issue. A number of people suffer from economic vulnerability because of unemployment, high levels of debt, and poor social protection. The elderly and households with babies are particularly affected. To address these issues, the project offers material support to the target group, together with the opportunity to get engaged as volunteers in the activities. This is a way to increase their skills and self-esteem and make them feel visible and valued by the local community. WHAT? Based on an understanding of the multiple vulnerabilities that the target group faces, the project contributes to their daily expenses for items such as nappies, school bags, schoolbooks, school kits, sport equipment, medicines, hygiene products, kitchen equipment, as well as textile products for the home. In order to reduce poverty in the long term, the project moves beyond material goods, and offers additional measures such as individual and group counselling sessions . These are regular moments of reflection that have allowed participants to think about the causes of their poverty, and motivate them to address these causes and move forward in their lives. As a fundamental complement to these measures, the project engages beneficiaries in the delivery of the aforementioned activities. This represents a further step on their path to autonomy and self-worth , as it helps them to develop their skills, self-esteem and self-confidence. The beneficiaries who engage as volunteers often think this is the best way to give back to society and demonstrate their gratefulness for the help they have received. Diverse approaches to supporting Europe’s most deprived: FEAD case studies 2018 12