A project often begins with an idea. That spark that sets in motion the various tasks that end in the completion of a project. With this endeavor that spark was a Facebook post from Sopocki Dom and the culmination was the smiling faces of the children.
Sopocki Dom is a community organization that operates a care and educational institution in Sopot. Institution is not really an accurate word because it is much more than that. For these children it is a home (DOM) to go to afterschool where loving volunteers undertake care and educational activities that will improve the situation of these children. The day starts with hugs and a snack and the support continues from there. The staff and volunteers provide psychological support to children and young people in crisis situations and help deal with prevention and problem solving related to challenges that may exist in their lives. More than all of this, for the children Sopocki Dom represents connection. Connection to a caring adult, connection to an organization in the community, and connection to each other. So, when Rotary Club Sopot International came across their Facebook posts and saw the wonderful work they were doing, we knew we had to become involved. A small group of our members visited Sopocki Dom to learn about what they do and what needs they had. We committed to providing items they needed to further enhance the experience of the children and make their interventions more effective. We came away with a list of items and set to work. After some time of finding the right items we met with Justyna, and she was thrilled with our plan to provide Beanbag chairs, three new computers, an LCD projector, a new screen, a gymnastics mat, a ping pong table, and a new oven. As the boxes arrived the children couldn’t wait to open each one. We gathered with them after all the items arrived and with a cake baking in the new oven, we took a photo to commemorate the day. We see this not as the ending of a project but as the beginning of a new relationship between Rotary Club Sopot International and Sopocki Dom. Our club has a mission of providing items, funds, and volunteer hours to help the community and we are so happy to see our efforts come to fruition and the result, the smiling faces of the children of Sopocki Dom.
Text: Christian Orobello Photo: Sopocki Dom & Rotary
