There are only few centers for children and young adults with disabilities. Four of them are located in eastern Slovakia. And one of them is the Center for Children and Families Košice - Hurbanova. It provides continuous professional nursing and nursing care, as well as educational activities for children and young adults with various types of health handicaps (mental, physical, sensory).

Currently, there are 94 children and young adults in the center. Fourty of them are immobile. There are 96 employees taking care of them 24/7. We were welcomed by Silvia Komorová, director of the center, and Marek Novotný, who, among other responsibilities, is in charge of the maintenance of the area. It can be seen that for both of them work is a mission and they live for the Center.

This year, as part of the Volunteer Days, Steelworkers will be helping out here on Saturday, June 22.

"As usual, we are looking forward to a great event again. There is always a good mood. It will be an extraordinary, tenth year of our cooperation with U. S. Steel. We can say that we have built a long-term, interpersonal partnership with you. Friendships were formed here. Actually, the daughter of one of your volunteers completed her practical training experience here. It happened that someone came to finish the work on another day," revealed Silvia Komorová. This is also what volunteering is about.

The campus is large, there is still room for improvement. Marek Novotný planned seven locations for volunteer activities. This time, new paint is needed for children's climbing frames, benches, gazebo. It will be necessary to trim bushes, to revitalise the rock garden before entering the facility, to plant new plants. Other works will include cleaning the area from overgrown trees and driftwood, cleaning the sidewalks, repairing the wooden parts of the sandpit. Volunteers will exercise their muscles while carrying out unnecessary property or mowing. The multi-sensory garden, which was originally installed thanks to our funds, also needs maintenance. In the event of rain, volunteers will do preparatory work for painting in the basement of the main building and will paint the staircase railings.

"We take care of children whose background is complicated. We are not such an attractive community. When you know about us, other people know about us, too. Everything you do here is a great help for us," remarked Silvia Komorová.

So will you be joining us on Saturday 22nd June? Registration will start mid-May.

Information about Volunteer Days is published on the website of U.S. Steel Košice:

 Volunteering - U.S. Steel Košice