Volunteers of Solaris in Action

In mid-June, a group of Solaris’ employees turned, for one day, into a professional renovation crew. As part of volunteering initiative “My Own Place”, they made over the room of an elderly woman living in the Nursing Home in Bukowska St. in Poznań.

Solaris is one of 10 Poznań-based businesses which have engaged in an innovative (on national scale) project, the objective of which is to help out senior citizens living in nursing homes in Poznań. This initiative, called “My Own Place” (“Mój Własny Kąt”), assumes a thorough makeover of a total of ten rooms of senior citizens (with one firm working on one room) and adjusting that space to the needs and ideas of their inhabitants. The purpose of the project is to switch the premises, which typically resemble hospital wards, into rooms that are cosy and feel like home. The venture is implemented by the Civic Education Development Centre Association (Stowarzyszenie Centrum Rozwoju Edukacji Obywatelskiej – CREO), in co-operation with the Regional Centre for Social Policy and the city of Poznań.

13 volunteers from Solaris Bus & Coach signed up for the project, determined to renovate and refurbish, in one day, the room of Mrs Teresa, who has been staying at the retirement home for as many as 18 years now. To start with, the volunteers met with employees of CREO Association, who talked about the essential aspects of the project. To make sure the makeover is the best possible, the volunteers from Solaris also met with Mrs Teresa, which allowed them to learn about her greatest needs and her habits, as well as her hobby.

The room’s refurbishment covered wall repair and repainting, as well as the replacement of furniture and decorations, the leitmotif  of which – inspired by the inhabitant’s great passion – were flowers. In addition, the room was equipped with a new armchair, allowing Mrs Teresa to watch TV and her favourite soap operas in a comfortable position. Besides purely visual aspects, it was important that the changes in the room are adjusted to the needs of an elderly person. That is why a special grip was mounted to help her get up from her armchair, as well as a side padding.

While one group of volunteers was working on the room makeover, the other group took Mrs Teresa for a whole-day trip around Poznań and a cruise on the Warta River. Mrs Teresa, who seldom has a chance to leave the nursing home she lives in, had an opportunity to see how the city had changed, and she was able to go shopping, which was something she dreamed of.

What mattered just as much in the volunteering project – besides creating a pleasant living space –  was the time shared with the elderly lady. The idea of corporate volunteering is greatly appreciated by and popular with the company’s employees. Participation in the initiative “My Own Place” heralds other actions designed by Solaris in the area of corporate social responsibility, for which Solaris has recently received the CSR Leaf award of weekly “Polityka” and the Responsible Business Champion award.