Volunteering is a concrete expression of love for others, a generous donation with no other reward than the joy of doing good, the commitment to social justice, the development of empathy, and the building of a better world for all.
Every day, at the Santa Mónica Home, every effort is made to care for and protect the girls who are referred by the appropriate authorities because they are minors who have suffered some form of violence, abuse, exploitation, or abandonment. To this end, the home has a team of professionals from all areas (educators, social workers, and therapists), as well as numerous volunteers.
Volunteering is properly regulated by the Juvenile Court; it is not improvised and is organized with guarantees. Some volunteers are on their own initiative, others come from teams previously organized by institutions or companies.
The Ceará Water and Sanitation Company (CAGECE), through its social responsibility department, encourages its employees to participate in social initiatives. On Volunteer Day, it organizes a thank-you party for all of them.
Júlio da Silva dedicates his time and skills at the Santa Mónica Home to an unusual field for the residents: karate. With great success, he uses this ancient art of discipline and respect to instill values, build character, inspire confidence, and promote self-improvement. He also teaches self-defense techniques that will be useful in future dangerous situations.
On the tatami, learning is beneficial in every way: the strength of balance, respect for others, the discipline to achieve success… The result is empowerment and personal transformation, the strengthening of physical and social skills.
In a short time, shyness transforms into confidence, fear into courage, and fragility into strength. Júlio’s young students learn to believe in themselves, to not shy away from challenges, and to glimpse horizons that seemed impossible. That’s why the sensei also receives the affection and recognition of his students.
International Volunteer Day coincides with the feast day of Saint Augustine. Throughout his life and writings, the saint affirmed that love is only true if it translates into service and materializes in the transformation of reality. The Augustinian Recollect Family puts that teaching into practice today.
During the feast of Saint Augustine, considered the spiritual father of the Home, the karate students gave a technical demonstration for the CAGECE volunteers as a token of gratitude. They wanted to share what they had learned and the skills they had acquired as a sign of affection and appreciation.
When a person donates, when a company or institution believes in the power of solidarity, when communities unite for the common good, society is transformed, improved, and injustices are eliminated.
Through their work, the volunteers allow the beneficiaries of the Santa Monica Home to regain faith in a society that once failed them; now they rebuild their image through the example of good, dedicated, and exemplary people.
