Newsletter 2/2014

Newsletter 2/2014
Our topic: Social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is a common journey
of all persons involved
Day of Silence for employees of Slezská Diakonie
Introductory words
Dear readers,
After many rainy days, the weather is beautiful again. The nature has awakened and everything is
blooming: it is marvellous.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
Such are the last words of Psalm 150.
Slezská Diakonie has recently organized a spiritual conference. The speaker - Hans-Georg Filker,
director of City Mission in Berlin - was talking about praising the Lord by means of prayers and songs.
The Book of Psalms allows us to celebrate God both in situations where we are enthusiastic and
feeling fine and in situations where we are dealing with suffering, challenges and sorrow. Such is our
life and such is often our work as well.
This issue of our Newsletter is focused above all on social entrepreneurship developed in our
organization. In addition to generating profit, social entrepreneurship should also accomplish social
objectives. We have been giving long-term support to such activities. In the past, we were focusing
especially on people with disabilities but many of our projects have recently focused on homeless
people as well. Some of these projects are being implemented directly in Slezská Diakonie, whereas
others have become independent legal entities with legal or personal connections to our
organization. We are still learning and we also ask ourselves the question: “How can we combine
generating profit with social objectives of our social firms?” We have been implementing innovative
approaches and solutions in this field for many years and success stories described on the following
pages should serve as source of inspiration for further development of social entrepreneurship in
Slezská Diakonie.
Mgr. Zuzana Filipková, Ph.D.
Director of Slezská Diakonie
Biblical introduction
„Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to
them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according
to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once
and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained
two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his
master’s money.
After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man
who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with
five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I
will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold;
see, I have gained two more.’
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I
will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard
man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I
was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and
gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with
the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be
given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be
taken from them.
Matthew 25, 14-29
The Parable of the Bags of Gold is one of the best-known biblical parables. The story itself is clear and
straightforward and its interpretation is even clearer. The point is that bags of gold are specific
talents and gifts which were given to us and which we can either waste or exploit. Indeed, the word
“talent” is derived from the Greek word “talentoi” which is translated as “bag” by certain authors.
Servants were entrusted with bags of gold, which is the parallel to our lives. You may ask: “But I
haven’t been given anything at all!” Human nature makes us blind in front of what we have. Instead,
we are continuously focusing on what we don’t have, what we are missing, what we have not got yet,
what we need urgently or what we do not have anymore and what is gone forever. However, if we
change our point of view and stop perceiving ourselves through the prism of our imperfections and
losses, if we stop looking only at what we do not have and if we start concentrating on what we have
and what was given to us, we may be astonished about how much there is.
And we could also talk about what was given to us and what is so priceless: our life and all those
people around us who love us and care for us; we have got time and reason, various gifts, talents and
capacities, such as adroitness, ability to paint, sing, perceive the nature, entertain others, built and
repair things, etc. Many people may be angry about the fact that master in the parable distributed
different amounts of bags of gold among his servants - five, two and just one, according to their
capacities. Was it unfair? This is a difficult question: what is fair and what is not? Some people have
more than others; that’s the way life is. But let’s not think about money now. Let’s rather
concentrate on different amount of gifts and talents, patience, sense of humour, kindness, courage,
wits and diligence, strength or adroitness. Some people almost always win, whereas others are
almost always losers. The third servant came to a bad end because he hid his master’s money. Why
did he do it? He was afraid.
He explains it quite clearly. His problem was not the fact that he had been given less than others. The
trouble was that he had a wrong perception of his master; he did not know him well. He was
thinking: “He is hard and bad”, he was afraid of him and that is why he never started any business.
The Bible tells us that God is different: he is not bad, he is kind. Fear is never a good advisor: fear
puts obstacles in front of us, whereas trust allows us to go ahead.
The third servant was afraid of his master and that is why he hid the bag of gold. He did not believe
that it would bring something good. I wish you never got in the third servant’s place. I wish you never
were afraid in your lives, I wish you never feared God. And I wish, above all, that you never thought
that what you had received would not bring anything good and that it has no sense to try. Bags of
gold should not be hidden or buried. They should be exploited. And that’s what faith is: the courage
to try. You can gain if you take risks. Invest your bag of gold and believe it will bring something back!
What was given to us – our bags of gold – is not supposed to be stocked, hidden, buried and archived.
It is supposed to be invested in the world and among people in order to bring benefit.
Faith is an attitude. It means courage, hope and trust in happy endings. Faith means looking forward
to future, not looking back in the past. So many things were given to us. Indeed, not all of us received
the same amount, but on the other hand: the expectations put upon us may differ considerably as
well. It is not good to hide things. It is good to invest. In order to make sure that one good thing
brings another good thing, that faith brings more faith and that hope brings more hope.
Mgr. Roman Brzezina
Pastor of SCEAV
Dignity Day
You need courage to perform in front of unknown people in a foreign town and in a foreign country.
And you need even more courage if you are to perform the message of Gospels. On May 9, 2014,
pupils and students of the Kindergarten, Primary School and Secondary School of Slezská Diakonie
participated in the international Dignity Day which was organized on the square of the Polish town of
Cieszyn. The performance called “Hope” was conceived as combination of music and pantomime.
Students of the Secondary School performed the life’s journey of a human being with all related
temptations, conversion and salvation. It was touching to see the spectators astonished by the
performance of young people with disabilities and by the message of their performance.
Mgr. Monika Urbancová
Day of Silence for employees of Slezská Diakonie
Within the framework of Year of Prayer and Music, a team of ecclesiastics organized the first edition
of Day of Silence. The event took place on May 14, 2014 and brought a new occasion to take a break
from work, enter silence together with others and use it for contemplation and prayers. Participants
were offered several possibilities and motivations to calm down, pray, contemplate on important
issues of their lives, jobs and their relationship with God. As many as fourteen participants used the
chance to calm down in a prayer room, at church, in open air or just during lunch and they were
discouraged neither by rain nor by the journey to a remote village in the Beskydy Mountains. It is not
easy to enter the silence and sustain it. For this reason, we were introduced into the silence gradually,
with respect towards others and with the possibility to break the silence anytime and talk, if needed.
Next issue of our Newsletter will bring more information about this event. Next Day of Silence is
supposed to take place in September in Ostrava.
ThDr Miriam Prášilová, PhD.
Year of Prayer and Music
2014 is Year of Prayer and Music in Slezská Diakonie. This way, we are taking up topics introduced by
our founder, Silesian Evangelical Church of Augsburg Confession. If you perceive that provision of
high-standard social services, good relationships at work, coping with problems and faith in God are
not something which is to be taken for granted, if you care for improving the quality of life and work
within Slezská Diakonie, you are warmly invited to join this year’s prayers.
The biblical parable of vine and its branches shows us that neither young nor ancient branches don’t
bare any fruit if they don’t remain in the vine. We therefore aim to accomplish our tasks by
remaining in the “vine” – Jesus Christ – who said: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15). We encourage others to discover the
prayer and music and, in addition to regular activities, meetings and spiritual conferences, we offer
also several other options: prayer diaries, prayer calendar or schedule of prayers according to
particular days (see the section Spiritual Care for more information about our spiritual activities).
ThDr Miriam Prášilová, PhD.
Nurse of the year
Silvie Jandová, employee of the EFFATHA centre in Frýdek-Místek and Frýdlant nad Ostravicí, was
awarded the Nurse of the Year award in the category of Employee in Social Services – Ambulant
Services. Silvie Jandová is source of inspiration for all staff members of the EFFATHA centre and the
award has just highlighted her professional work. Clients and employees of the centre join in
congratulations.
Close and available for 10 years already
For the last 10 years, employees of the ON LINE centre of Slezská Diakonie in Karviná have been
helping children and young people to find solutions for their troubles. The objective is to fulfil the
free time of young people with purposeful activities and to make sure that their adolescence is not
marked by alcohol, drugs and other undesirable phenomena. Employees of the ON LINE centre offer
e.g. discussions, free-time activities, mediation and accompaniment in communication with various
institutions.
ELPIS counselling centre of Slezská Diakonie in Třinec is celebrating its 10th anniversary too. The
centre helps victims of domestic violence, maltreatment and abuse and its employees also provide
assistance in interpersonal and inter-familiar relationships. The aim is to make sure that victims use
their right for protection and realize that they are not alone to deal with their difficult situation.
Employees of the counselling centre help clients accept and cope with the fact of being victim of
domestic violence. In addition, they help them liberate themselves from the grip of the aggressors
and regain their lost self-confidence.
Our topic: Social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship is a common journey of all persons
involved
Dear readers of the Newsletter of Slezská Diakonie. I would like to share several ideas related to
social entrepreneurship. They will not be of technical nature: they will be just the result of my own
experience. Indeed, I perceive social entrepreneurship as a common journey of all persons involved –
us employees, unemployed people and the whole society. Let me therefore introduce several ideas
related to this topic.
Social enterprise is a good option for long-term unemployed people
Long-term unemployed people often have various disabilities. In my professional life, I frequently
meet people who would like to work, but are not able to integrate the labour market for various
reasons – such as physical disability, loss of work habits, insufficient education, addictions, life crisis,
being ex-prisoners, and others. Many of these people would be zealous and good workers, but their
work efficiency is lower because of a handicap. This is a big trouble nowadays. We all desire the
highest efficiency possible and employers are no exception. Companies are thus not interested in less
efficient workers and these people therefore gradually lose their motivation to look for job because
they are not able to meet the requirements of the employer.
I know very well that many of these people are able and willing to work, but only under specific
circumstances which we have to create for them while taking their handicaps in consideration. Some
of them deceive us sometimes and cheat on us; but let’s be sincere: highly efficient and marvellous
workers sometimes do the same, don’t they? In Slezská Diakonie we work with unemployed people
at various levels of cooperation and I dare say that many of them are very capable. We try to get
them involved in various motivation activities – both regular and extraordinary ones. The
extraordinary ones include help during natural disasters, especially floods. The regular ones comprise
a wide range of activities at various centres of Slezská Diakonie and elsewhere, such as working at
kitchen, laundry, helping with furniture removal, maintenance and cleaning, gardening, painting,
working in joinery workshop, in forests or at farms. Our newest activities are renovation of classic
cars, production of baguettes and selling goods in our charity shops. These activities may help our
clients gain and adopt lost working habits, as well as learn new things. They can also show our clients
the way toward reintegration in the society and in the labour market.
Social enterprise is a good option for employers too
Why? In a certain way, the provision of social services puts limits in front of us. The major limit is the
Act on Social Services: quite often we would like to provide other services as well, but once they are
not included in the category of “basic activities”, we will not get any funding. Social entrepreneurship
may be a good way out of this situation and it may enhance the development of our work. In
addition to the abovementioned activities, Slezská Diakonie also offers motivation trainings, trial jobs
and sheltered employment. Several our clients have already passed this process and they are
working in market environment now. This is an immense motivation for us, as it provides us with
new tools to help people stand on their own feet and start living according to their own wishes. Of
course, I must not omit the fact that social entrepreneurship is also a source of money which we can
invest in the promotion of our services.
Social entrepreneurship is a good option for the whole society
The trouble with our modern society is that handicapped people are perceived as useless and as
considerable financial burden. This generates a lot of collateral prejudices and misjudgements. If
unemployed people get involved in labour processes or extraordinary activities (such as help during
floods), our society will certainly regard these people in a different manner. I think it is high time for
our society to stop focusing uniquely on efficient and capable citizen. Instead, we should also start
searching for opportunities for the people who have been standing in the shadow.
What should be the conclusion? I find motivation for my work in the Book of Ecclesiastes 11:1:
“Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return”
Petr Wiselka
Head of the Region of Třinec, Frýdek-Místek
Renewal project: we help cars and people
Renewal project is an ergo-therapeutic activity focused on those service users of Slezská Diakonie
who are long-term unemployed and willing to do their best to improve their situation. Project
participants renovate classic cars under the supervision of an occupational therapist and professional
external consultants.
The activity provides occasion to gain a wide range of skills and habits, learn to work in a team, be
perseverant and cope with complex situations. Besides, the project also comprises participation in
classic cars meetings where the results of our work are introduced, as well as visits to museums and
motor shows. As the participants come from socially excluded backgrounds and considering their
actual experience, the project activities provide them with immense enrichment, motivation and
inspiration for a change.
Renewal project was launched three years ago and 10 participants took part in it so far. Four of them
subsequently found a stable job and were able to keep it, which is a great success if you consider that
they were long-term unemployed before having joined the project. So far, one of our renovated cars
was awarded the Classic Car Certificate and we have been finishing works on another car which we
want to have tested this year. In addition, we work on two classic cars ordered by external customers,
as well as on one car within our own project. We also aim to purchase another car suitable for
renovation this year. Our activities even attracted the attention of well-known specialized
automotive magazines, such as Chrome & Flames which has been monitoring our project since its
very beginning and was regularly bringing information about the renovation of our first car (Cadillac
Seville 76), or Auto Motor Sport Youngtimer where quite an extensive and very positive article about
Renewal project was published. In terms of funding, the project has the support of individual
voluntary donors, partner companies and foreign partners.
The initial idea of Renewal project was occupational therapy. However, as time passed, we started
seriously thinking about transforming it into a social enterprise which would offer jobs to people
threatened by social exclusion. Renovation of a car is a long-term business; however, it is also very
dynamic and increasingly popular branch, especially in our country. This implies extremely strong
competition and it would be very difficult to assert ourselves without sufficiently qualified workforce.
Selling renovated cars abroad could be an option and we are currently working on it. Finding suitable
new premises will be another challenge: our today’s workshop is to be dismantled in order to allow
the construction of the planned Diaconal Educational Centre and we are therefore intensely looking
for new premises. However, we believe that we’ll find solution and that Renewal project will keep
providing our clients with occasions to get ready for a successful return to labour market,
reintegration in the society and permanent way out of the vicious circle of social exclusion.
See www.renewalproject.cz or our Facebook profile Renewaoproject for more information.
Bc. Stanislaw Mrozek
Manager of BETHER Třinec-Kanada centre
Chrpa: social firm of Slezská Diakonie o.p.s.
Our products bring you joy and caress your soul
We are social firm and we employ people with physical, intellectual and psychic disabilities. We
produce domestic accessories, gift items and promotion items which are hand-painted, made with
laser engraving machine or embroidery machine. In addition, we run a gardeners shop and public
toilettes in Krnov. We were awarded the “Czech Quality: Products Made by People with Disabilities”
protection mark and our potential to supply companies with genuinely original gift items is immense.
We run our own shops where we sell our products as well as products made by other companies.
You can find our “Colourful Home” shops on the principal square Hlavní Náměstí in Krnov and in 14
Tyršova Street in Ostrava. We also participate in various sales events, such as handicraft fairs or
Christmas fairs. We also deliver our products to other shops and companies which forward them as
gifts to their employees or business partners. Some of our biggest clients are American Express, Blue
Praha, ČSOB, Česká spořitelna, Kofola, Siemens, and many others.
We are able to execute orders ranging from 1 piece to several thousands of pieces, while retaining
the originality of each single piece. All our products are handmade and each piece has its own story,
even if it is one among thousands. Several people participate in the production of a particular
product, which makes their personal stories encounter in each of our products.
It is very difficult and sometimes even unrealistic to find a job if you are person with disability. Due to
jobs offered in our social enterprise, many of our employees were able to afford their own housing.
They moved from sheltered housing or social care institutions into their own flats and started almost
ordinary life. Some of them had already started family before, other did so thanks to the fact that
they had found a job and more self-confidence. We founded the company in spring 2008 with 8
employees and nowadays, we employ 30 people, including 26 people with disabilities. It is beautiful
to watch people with disabilities change once they are given the chance to work. The change is not
initiated only by the salary, but above all by the chance of being among people and by the awareness
of being needed by others.
See our webpage (www.chrpakrnov.cz) or our Facebook profile (www.facebook.cz/chrpakrnov) for
more information. We are also getting ready to start our own e-shop.
Petr Světlík
Director
Bazaar Under Tower, Wardrobe and Cupboard
Charity shops of Slezská Diakonie
What do they have in common and what makes them different from each other?
They are all places where you can help needy people just by donating things or by buying them for a
cheap price. Cupboard, Wardrobe and Bazaar Under Tower sell and accept both new and old goods,
if they are in good condition. The common feature of all three bazaars is that the profit is re-invested
in social services in the Třinec region. You meet nice and helpful staff in all three shops, including
volunteers. The shops are clean and you are given all the time you need to look at goods carefully.
What makes them unique?
Cupboard – Charity shop, Český Těšín
“Cupboard” is designed in a Greek style, with premises in blue and white. It is our newest shop and it
is only beginning to gain its position in the market and stable clients. It sells clothes and domestic
textile and the goods are either new or used, but always in a good condition.
Wardrobe, Třinec-Kanada
Its prices have no competition. This charity shop is located rather outside the town centre, but the
prices are definitely worth to make a little detour and to pop in. You can buy clothes, toys, children
prams or domestic accessories for unbelievably low prices.
The Bazaar Under Tower, Třinec
Its price management is really unique. With a few exceptions, the price is fixed by the client. If the
price is not accepted by the shop assistant, further negotiations take place. The shop offers above all
glass items, ceramics, domestic accessories and books. Clothes are not sold in this shop.
Mgr. Lenka Waszutová, Head of Department of Personnel Agenda, international relations and PR
Bringing fairy tales to ill children
Once a month, the clients of EFFATHA Nový Jičín centre of Slezská Diakonie visit the paediatric
department of the Nový Jičín hospital. They come to conjure up smiles on children’s faces, bring
them a little joy and try to make them forget their troubles and illnesses - at least for a while.
“You are not going to mess up with us” says the hunter to the wolf before saving the Little Red Riding
Hood and her grandmother. This way, the Little Red Riding Hood or Hansel and Gretel come to see
the children once a month. The scene and hand puppets are made by the clients at the EFFATHA
centre with the aid of an employee. At the end of each spectacle, the children are given original
colouring books with the characters from the fairy tale: they are supposed to make the time at
hospital pass by a little faster.
For the clients of socio-therapeutic workshops, the theatre is an alternative form of self- assertion in
professional life, as well as a therapy. The clients learn not only to take, but to give as well. They
learn to not expect a reward for everything they make; they learn to do things for other people
because they want to do them. Actually, they become “volunteers” for a while, by bringing a piece of
themselves to other people, such as their joy, straightforwardness, but also their good will to
“combat” life’s troubles.
The project has been given support of the “ČSOB and Era: We Bring Help Together” volunteerism
programme. Thanks to the grant subsidy, we were able to purchase a new sewing machine which
may be used by immobile clients as well. We could also purchase material for the production of hand
puppets and above all sound devices due to which we are now able to perform in roomier premises
as well.
THANK YOU!
Gabriela Lhotská, DiS.
Coordinator
Green light to sport in Třinec
Employees of the BETHEL Třinec centre of Slezská Diakonie introduced our non-profit organization in
an original way. They proved to be able to use their capacities and to use new ideas to promote our
Christian organization.
Indeed, they perceived a great opportunity in the subsidy programme of the town of Třinec within
which it is possible to apply for grants aimed at promotion of sport and cultural activities. Badminton
tournaments organized by the BETHEL Třinec centre have already become a tradition and due to
cooperation with Třinec municipality, everybody was allowed to enjoy them even more.
Matches took place at the Sport Hall of the Secondary Technical School of Moravia Steel Ironworks.
Altogether, there were 44 players divided in two categories – 14 men’s doubles and 10 mixed
doubles. For the first time, there were also foreign competitors, namely our Polish neighbours. The
tournament was perfectly organized and spectators could enjoy top performances, devotion and
exceptional commitment of all players.
Players, spectators and organizers jointly considered the sport event as a success: it provided people
with occasion to do sport and promoted healthy lifestyle. It was also important to introduce public to
the activities developed by the BETHEL Třinec centre – not only by means of visual promotion on
banners, but also by means of interviews with employees of Slezská Diakonie and participants in the
tournament. The aim was to activate clients of the BETHEL Třinec centre, get them involved in
preparatory works, preparation of awards and in the development of the demanding tournament.
“Ď” Price awarded
“Ď” prices (“Ď” is a colloquial Czech expression for “thanks”) are awarded to people or organizations
that ensure selfless assistance to needy people. The type of assistance does not matter: help or
support may be measured in money, time, capacities, but the important thing is the sense for and
impact on the person who needs it. This year, the “Ď” price for Moravian-Silesian Region was
awarded to Jiřina Steklá, a volunteer living in Karviná and working in Slezská Diakonie. Mrs Steklá was
selected by a committee of specialists working in various fields. Their task was not easy because
many good people do many good things. Why did they choose Jiřina Steklá? “She has been working
at our POHODA low-threshold centre for children and young people for 11 years already. For free.
She regularly comes to see us and she organizes art activities and a cooking club. Everything she does
for us is done with love, without any claim for remuneration and without any signs of weariness or
burnout syndrome.” Such was the answer of Iveta Kuczerová, manager of the centre. Each “Ď” price
nomination is significant. It is reflection of humanity, model for acting and behaving. “D” price
represents life values which are often looked after by people, and not only by the young ones. In case
of Mrs Steklá, we are talking about voluntary work made for free during 11 years, with smile both on
her lips and in her eyes, and with much responsibility.
Mgr. Lenka Waszutová
Head of Department of Personnel Agenda, International Relations and PR
Interview with Jiřina Steklá, winner of the “Ď” award in the Moravian-Silesian region
1) You started to work as volunteer in 2003. What brought you to this job?
I retired for health reasons, but I would not be able to sit idle at home, so I started thinking
what to do. I was considering the option of working with elderly people, but in the end, I
went for advice to the Information Centre in Karviná-Fryštát. They told me about Slezská
Diakonie.
2) Did you think you would stays so long in this job?
Definitely not. But working with children fulfils me and, above all, we are a great team.
3) Where do you find ideas and inspiration for this kind of job?
Mostly in books and magazines. I also go to library and if something catches my attention, I
immediately make a copy. I’m mostly searching for ideas in the field of art activities which
are organized on Tuesdays. We also do cooking once a month. In addition, I participate in
events organized by the centre, such as children’s days, sport days, etc.
4) How do you relax and what is your source of new energy?
I think we are reciprocal sources of energy, the children and me. I also like gardening and I do
handicrafts in winter, especially knitting and crocheting.
5) Do you keep in touch with children you used to work with?
I don’t, but they often greet me in the street. Many of them are mums with children today.
6) What do your family members and friends think about your voluntary work?
At first, they were surprised that I was working as volunteer and for free, which is not usual
nowadays. However, they gradually got used to it and today they know that it’s part of my
life.
Thank you for this interview. We wish you good health, much patience and many great ideas in your
work.
Kamila Kudrysová
Employee of Slezská Diakonie