In 2003 at the association a Center for volunteers was opened. Its aim was to popularize the values of voluntary work, to encourage and support citizens’ participation through voluntary work. The members of the center are active and responsible young people who initiate and implement different activities. This in April 2005 the idea for the project Volunteers in Action was born.

The project main goal was to provide opportunity to young people in Lovech to utilize their free time for acquiring new skills and knowledge through implementing civil initiatives. With the help of the “old” volunteers and local media a campaign for attracting volunteers was organized in the town using the advertising materials developed for the project. Among them were the posters placed all over the town, especially at places frequented by young people.For less than a month we received applications form 17 new volunteers. The training took place in the Youth Center and volunteers in previous initiatives took active part.The voluntary activities that were implemented during the project were initiated and planned by the volunteers themselves. Leading principle for their choice was the social importance of the initiatives. Here are some of the activities implemented during the project: we painted the fence of the Youth Center, we found materials for donors from Lovech, we joined the National Campaign Donate an hour organized by the National Alliance of Volunteers, together with the Youth Red Cross we marked the international day of Fight against AIDS, we celebrated the World Day of the Volunteerwith a ball attended by 32 volunteers of the center and 20 volunteer of the Youth Red Cross. Through the organization and implementation of such initiatives the young people can develop skills such as creativity, reflectivity and flexibility. Our activities were supported by partner organizations, citizens of Lovech, local media and businesses and the national campaign Donate and hour took placer under the auspicesofthe Regional Governor.

After the end of the project the volunteers continue their weekly meetings and planning future initiatives. A project against smoking is under preparation as well as a charity concert and campaign “A gift for my school”, the clothes collection for the institution for elderly in Lovech and the collection of paper in the local institutions continue.

Nelly Miteva
1 ‘Georgi Benkovski’ Str., 
Varosha Quarter,
Youth Centre,
5500 Lovech, Bulgaria
phone/fax: 068/ 603 834
ecomission21@lovechonline.net
ecomission21@mail.orbitel.bg