Urszula in the Club, newly decorated by the youth

Therapy through tasks

Cooking

Renovating the Club

Christmas party photos by Sandy Schadewal rscj

In 2004 I became involved with the Family Foundation of Poznan, and I drafted a proposal for a club for children and youth of underprivileged or low-income families.

The “Open Heart” Socio-therapeutic Club is a local initiative of support in order to provide help to children and youth whose families have problems with alcohol, drugs, etc… stemming from poverty. These kids are at risk in their social situations, threatened with falling into delinquency and becoming drug-dependent. They live in environments which do not promote their personal development.

The objectives of the socio-therapeutic and preventative program of the Club are:

1. The development of the whole person (emotional, social, intellectual).
2. The acquirement of skills to integrate into society and to prevent isolation or social exclusion.
3. Formation of values and creation of socially constructive attitudes.
4. Prevention of drug-dependency, delinquency, anti-social behaviour, and the promotion of healthy habits.
5. Family interventions and support in resolving their problems.
6. Psychological aid to the kids as well as their families.

The “Open Heart” Club offers an attractive alternative for kids between 11 and 18 years of age. It is a chance to use their spare time well. “Open Heart” serves in function of protection, prevention and therapy through socio-therapeutic yet appealing activities.

The Club functions five days a week in the afternoons. Each day the youth and children who are members of the Club participate for two hours in socio-therapeutic activities. The “Open Heart” Club has been functioning for three years. Children and youth are happy to come to it. I believe it will continue to develop.

I was hired by the Club, and have worked together with four lay socio-therapeutic educators. The Club also collaborates with the Psychological Institute, local schools, local police, the court system, the Arts Centre and also with various companies.

Throughout the term, I prepare supplementary projects for the families of the kids, sort of “supportive educational tasks,” or others… During the year we have interesting activities:  creative, artistic, musical, cooking, carpentry. Sometimes we have field-trips, or we go to the theatre, museums, movies, pool. At the Club, the kids may use the computers or play sports like tennis, football, field hockey.

The socio-therapeutic work is more demanding. The kids learn to let go of stress, to name their feelings, to be assertive. The socio-therapeutic animators use many means:  camera, computer, musical instruments…

Our wish is that the youth who belong to the “Open Heart” Club learn to be responsible for their lives, that they take their life in their own hands.

Halfway through the term we renovated the Club-site and the kids participated actively in the renovation. They were really very responsible.  We had prepared for this for three weeks. Certainly there was no socio-therapeutic work during this time. This collective commitment to collaborate ended up being as much or more therapeutic and educative.

My commitment to under-privileged children and youth is a concrete way to live the charism of the Society of the Sacred Heart. The Open Heart of Jesus is the centre of our spirituality (and also the name of my probation). The name of the Club corresponds to this reality, to this centre. Apart from the education and therapy, I desire above all that it be a place where children and youth can come where they, their families and the laity with whom I collaborate will experience love, forgiveness, compassion, hope and values very different than those the world offers. This is symbolized in the Club logo “a heart with an open window.”

Urszula is now in Puerto Rico, sharing in the ministry of rscj of the province in "Descubriendo Juntos"