EUR 10,000 subsidy for Caritas Sofia for a social project focused on children with special education needs The sum is granted by Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, the main shareholder of Vienna Insurance Group

Only days after Caritas Sofia received a monetary subsidy for the “Ready for School” project, now the “SS. Cyril and Methodius” day center for children and family support in Kuklen has received a sum of EUR 10,000. This center is also under the umbrella of Caritas and during the year it welcomes more than 70 children between the ages of 4 and 15 who benefit from its services.

The financial assistance is intended for the development of therapeutic services offered by the center by expansion of the available therapeutic rooms. These rooms are open both for children with special education needs and disabilities, as well as children with learning gaps in their education and those who are at risk and have difficulty socializing in the school system. In synch with the advance of technology in daily life, the center also offers access to innovative methods and activities such as labor and art therapy and biofeedback.

On behalf of Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, the check for the awarded subsidy was again handed over by representatives of the insurance companies of Vienna Insurance Group in Bulgaria, who congratulated the team working in the center with the results achieved so far and expressed confidence that the therapy and systematic work with the children who visit the center are of benefit not only for the children themselves, but also for their parents, sustainably changing their lives for better.

“This donation will be used for improvement of the facilities and purchase of items with which the children can continue to work. We are grateful to the benefactors for the support and assistance that enables the development of the “SS. Cyril and Methodius” center in Kuklen”, stated Savina Nikolova, Team Leader at the Center.

 “We thank again for the support and trust placed in Caritas Sofia and we believe that this example will be followed by other companies too,” added Ivan Kutsarov, in charge of Strategic Planning at Caritas Sofia.

More about the “SS. Cyril and Methodius” children and family support center in Kuklen:

The “SS. Cyril and Methodius” children and family support center is a service provided to pre-school and school age children for overcoming their educational and language difficulties, furthering moral, emotional and personal growth, teaching them to organize their free time and for socialization of the children. The main goal of the team is to work towards a change in the thinking patterns of children at risk, to guide them and help them see that they too are capable of learning and creativity, of being useful for themselves and for the people around them and of finding their place in life. The efforts of the center are directed towards improving the overall quality of life of the children in their family and social surroundings through provision of effective social services that match the individual needs of the visitors. Additionally, the center offers specialized support for children with articulation, behavioral and motor skill difficulties who need to work with a psychologist, speech therapist or a rehabilitation therapist through the Center for Social Rehabilitation and Integration, a municipal service in Kuklen which is managed by Caritas Sofia.

More about Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein:

Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein is a longstanding partner of Caritas in Austria. Each year Caritas Austria initiates a children’s campaign in support of children in Eastern and Southern Europe. Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein supports this campaign with the aim of raising awareness of the needs of children living in poverty. Additionally, each year the company provides financial assistance for specific regional projects. Following the public promotion of regional projects in Ukraine, Serbia, Romania, Albania and the Republic of Moldova, Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein has provided support for the Bulgarian projects: the “Ready for school” community support center in the Fakulteta neighborhood in Sofia and the “SS. Cyril and Methodius” day center for children and family support in the town of Kuklen.