Lighthouse for the Blind Of Greece

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Volunteerism

Roukoutakis's Sculpture Volunteerism is the total network of non-remunerated action of citizens who aim to help their fellow man, the community and society in general. It’s not limited only to the unselfish offer of ones services, moreso it reflects an attitude towards life with special values, such as the solidarity of society and fairness as well as participation in the helping the needs of the community. The scope of volunteerism is widening continuously and covers more and more sides of social life such as rendering of services to the less fortunate, helping those shunned by society. Moreover, individuals who volunteer, have the opportunity to cultivate their personality and skills by means of a special learning experience making their time especially rewarding.
One of the main priorities of Lighthouse for the Blind, Greece, was and still is the development of volunteerism, not only for the work which gets done due to the contributions of the volunteers but also, because it promotes positive awareness and behavior in the community regarding the problems of visually-impaired and blind individuals.

, Geroulanou Zwh, [Member of board of directors]

Become a volunteer at Lighthouse for the Blind

Volunteers at the Lighthouse for the Blind

The relationship between the Lighthouse for the Blind and its volunteers is supported by the common wish and effort to meet the complex needs of visually-impaired individuals in the most constructive and effective way. The director of the Lighthouse for the Blind coordinates the actions of the volunteers in collaboration with the person in charge of each department in which they will work.

Work departments

Social Services

  • House calls: Visits to the homes of blind individuals to provide companionship, read books in their free time, to read bills and letters, to escort while shopping, during walks etc.
  • Help in mobility - escort: The job of the escort is to help visually-impaired individuals move around the city and to reach various destinations (hospitals, medical visits, academic facilities, etc.)
  • Communications Program: In this program the volunteer is in telephone contact with blind individuals who live alone. They track how the individual is doing and try to anticipate their needs.
  • “Let’s go to the Theater” escort program: The volunteer is responsible for escorting visually-impaired individuals to the theater.
  • Escort to events and on excursions: The volunteer escorts visually-impaired individuals to events of various types as well as on one or two-day excursions organized by the Lighthouse to various parts of Greece such as museums and exhibitions.

Braille Printing Center – Braille Library

  • Creation – processing of texts that will be printed in Braille (Knowledge of word processing essential)
  • Reading of texts to blind proofreaders in order to check the correctness of the printed Braille.
  • Insertion of Braille pages into Braille books
  • The volunteer operates the thermoform machine that produces copies of Braille pages written by hand

[ Knowledge of Braille is useful but not required ]

Tactual Museum

  • Guiding visitors, schools
  • Monitoring the museum

Audio Books Department

  • Reading of Books
  • Producing cassettes

Choice – placement of Volunteers

Social Services in collaboration with the Management of the Lighthouse choose the volunteers. The choice is made based on the appropriateness of the volunteer in each position and whether they will be committed to the responsibilities placed upon them. The interests of the volunteer are always taken into consideration when making placement.

Supervision/Evaluation

The supervision of the volunteers is the responsibility of the department which benefits from the services of the volunteer.

Volunteers Records

The Social Services of the Lighthouse keeps records about the volunteers and their services, which are used for written projects, the issuance of relative reports but also the recognition of what each volunteer offers via written certification. The volunteers have a personal time card on which the hours and their days of work are recorded.

Rights of the Volunteers

  • Based on their preferences, their education and their abilities, they can choose the department they would like to work in.
  • They will receive a job description, effective preparation and guidance from the Supervisor of the department they work for.
  • Equal treatment and a positive work relationship with the workers of the foundation and the other volunteers.
  • Working in a pleasant and organized environment which helps them feel welcome.
  • They are informed about the different causes of blindness and generally about problems of sight which exist and the impact it causes on visually-impaired individuals and their families.
  • Opportunities for information and development regarding volunteerism.

Obligations for the Volunteer

  • To accomplish their duties without discriminations of race, colour, sex, age, religion, family situation, political conviction and intellectual situation.
  • To represent The Lighthouse for the Blind and its beliefs.
  • To distinguish their private life from their voluntary work and to not take advantage of their position for personal profit.
  • To be responsible about the days and hours of attendance that they have declared.
  • To develop their abilities and show adaptability and perseverance in exercising their duties.
  • To inform their Supervisor in a timely fashion about the work that they undertake as well as about any emergency incidents.
  • To understand that within their obligations stands the possibility to be called to help in cases of emergency.

Behavior of volunteers towards visually-impaired

  • To accurately inform the visually-impaired about the nature and extent of services provided to them.
  • To respect the privacy of those served and to keep any information they might learn or observe confidential.
  • To deal with all needs of those served with sensitivity and kindness.

Behavior of Volunteers towards their colleagues

  • To behave towards their colleagues with respect, a good work attitude, good faith and politeness.
  • To respect the confidentiality of the information that they exchange with their colleagues.
  • To not promote their interests at the expense of their colleagues in the scope of Service.

Termination of Voluntary Services

The Lighthouse for the Blind Greece has the right to dismiss any volunteer if deemed necessary.