The Emmaus Solidarity Association Satu Mare was founded in 2010 to support young people leaving the child protection system. The association is part of the continuity of educational work started by the Freres association in placement centers in Satu Mare County since 1991. Emmaus Satu Mare is a member of the international Emmaus movement.
The beneficiaries of the association are young people in difficulty, especially young people from the child protection system and homeless young people, aged between 18 and 24 (having the opportunity to benefit from the support of the association up to the age of 29, depending on their needs). Mainly the beneficiaries are either referred to Emmaus by the case managers from the protection system when they approach the age of 18, or they turn directly to the association if they are adults and are in a risk situation (they have no shelter, etc.).
Since its inception, the association has supported about 100 young people by providing social services and employing them in a protected form. The association benefits from 2 accreditations: the social service license for the “Emmaus” Residential Center and the accreditation certificate as a social insertion enterprise.
The insertion process within the Emmaus Association is part of a more complete integration program, with 2 components:
- Social integration through the provision of social services such as: residential accommodation and support for acquiring independent living skills, socio-educational counseling, psychological counseling, facilitating access to general education, facilitating access to health care, free legal aid (including the protection of human rights). the role of courts), post-assistance monitoring
- Professional integration by providing services such as:
- employment at the association’s stores (sale of second-hand items, furniture, crockery, etc.);
- learning the basic rules of the professional world (punctuality, teamwork, hygiene and equipment at work, language and behavior at work, managing emotions, managing the phone, following the rules, following the job description, etc.);
- after learning the basic professional rules, professionalization according to eachone’s skills and desires (salesman, driver, assistant chef, etc.)
- support for professional qualification (courses and driving school)
- internships in other companies, to allow young people to discover other professions.
For the social and educational integration of the beneficiaries, the Emmaus Association works with 5 experts: a social worker, a social technician, a youth worker and two collaborating psychologists whose activity involves:
- daily presence (Monday to Friday) of the specialized staff in the residential center;
- organizing weekly meetings of support groups;
- weekly psychological counseling (upon request);
- organizing monthly educational discussions;
- conducting a half-yearly balance sheet;
- other recreational, cultural, sports activities, etc.
For the professional integration of the beneficiaries, Emmaus Association works with 6 experts: two store managers, a warehouse manager, a cook, two full time volunteers, whose activity involves:
- organizing weekly meetings with all beneficiaries, every Monday morning, to establish the program and discuss the problems, solutions or news;
- the weekly evaluation of each beneficiary, every Friday afternoon, and the awarding of a bonus according to the efforts made;
- on-the-job training.
The economic activity carried out by the Emmaus Association involves the collection, reconditioning, sale and delivery of second-hand objects: furniture, crockery, toys, etc. through two stores in Satu Mare.
The association also offers online recruitment services through the company Emmaus Integrare SRL, recognized as an Authorized Protected Unit (the association being its sole shareholder). The lucrative activity of this LLC does not aim at inset, but at generating income to be invested in the actions of the association.
The main challenges of the Emmaus Association in 2021 are, in economic terms, the increase of sales in stores after the decrease of sales in 2020 and the preparation of investments for the renovation of the stores. At the social level, the association aims to: strengthen social services for young people, in order to cover their needs as fully as possible, regarding social and professional integration, hiring an additional person in the educational team and entering into a partnership with another psychologist, for to diversify the proposed forms of therapy / counseling.
Contact details Emmaus Solidarity Association Satu Mare
- Address: Bulevardul Vasile Lucaciu, no. 20, Satu Mare, Satu Mare County
- Email: contact@emmaussm.ro
- Phone: 0753.110.022
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsoEmmausSM