Canoeing at the end of summer vacation is already a tradition that our young people look forward to all year. This time the charming corners of the Wkra and Narew rivers decided to show us that canoeing together requires not only muscle strength, but also mastering the art of consensual cooperation. We were paddling with the current of the river, when suddenly our canoes unexpectedly got stuck…. in the shallows. The water was too shallow and the bottom was too muddy for the canoes to go on. At first there was chaos – what next?

But the youngsters quickly realized that this was the moment to act together. Everyone threw themselves into helping, forming a spontaneous rescue team and a cheering dance troupe. Our charges were supported by volunteer Michał, who sits on the board of our Foundation on a daily basis, and during the rafting trip trained us in water safety rules. When we finally managed to free the canoes, everyone felt incredible satisfaction and… hunger! Fortunately, at the finish, there was a bonfire and refreshments waiting for us to replenish our strength.

This rafting trip showed us that together we can overcome any obstacle – even one that no one expected, and that adventure is not only what we plan, but above all what surprises us!

2024 is the next chapter of our sports adventure, which we are proud to write in cooperation with the Zdrofit Fitness Clubs network! Thanks to their support, our young charges again have the opportunity to run, lift weights and stretch in the gym, which gives them wings and energy.

Regular exercise is much more than just improving physical condition for our young athletes. It’s also a great opportunity to develop superpowers such as perseverance, self-confidence and the ability to handle challenges. Through regular training, young people not only strengthen their bodies, but also gain skills that are invaluable in everyday life, such as stress management and perseverance in pursuit of goals.

Physical activity is also a really valuable tool in coping with difficult moments. When young people are having a worse day or feeling overwhelmed, a moment spent at the gym can be a real lifesaver. Regular exercise not only helps them cope better with stress, but also improves their overall mood. Their body produces endorphins – happy hormones that act as a natural antidote to a bad mood. Sports are also a great way to find a moment for themselves, to get away from daily worries and focus on something fun.

For them, Zdrofit clubs are a place where they can meet, laugh, and compete in a healthy way. And, most importantly, every hour they spend at the gym is a step toward building lasting habits that will follow them throughout their lives.

We would like to thank the network of Zdrofit Fitness Clubs for donating passes and giving our wards access to professional sports facilities. Your help is crucial for their development and a better future.

Our therapeutic and development camps are more than just vacation trips. It’s a true journey into ourselves, full of emotions, discoveries and special moments that will stay with us for a long time. Our camp in Rajgród this year was not only an adventure, but above all a chance to develop, discover our own abilities and build relationships based on trust and support.

Opening up to emotions – “Seven feelings” workshop

One of the key moments of our camp was the “Seven Feelings” workshop. Each of us faced a palette of emotions – from joy to sadness, from fear to anger. Through these activities we learned that every emotion is important and necessary. Understanding them allows you to better manage your reactions and build healthier relationships with others. It was a real lesson in accepting ourselves, our feelings and expressing them, which is the foundation of mental health.

Movement is healthy – Sports activities

There was also no shortage of physical activity, because, as we all know, health of body and spirit go hand in hand. Daily sports activities were not only an opportunity to keep fit, but also a great way to integrate. Team games, walking together, morning warm-ups – each of these activities brought us closer together and taught us to work together. It was during these moments outdoors that relationships based on trust and support were built.

Safe vacations and discovering history – Workshops with ISS Facility Services

Vacation is a carefree time, but it is also worth remembering safety. Thanks to the workshop organized by ISS Facility Services, we learned how to responsibly spend time on the water. Specialists showed us how to take care of ourselves and others so that summer adventures are not only exciting, but above all safe. ISS Facility Services also prepared for us fascinating historical workshops that allowed us to move back in time and better understand the events that shaped our reality.

Touching meeting – Sybiraks and their stories

One of the most moving moments of the camp was the meeting with the Sybiraks, organized through cooperation with the Augustow department of the Pilecki Institute. Their stories of suffering, perseverance and steadfastness moved each of us. Listening to the stories of their fate, we could see how much courage it took to survive in such difficult conditions. This meeting made us realize the importance of cherishing the memory of the past and appreciating the freedom we have today.

Integration and development – key therapeutic outcomes

The shared adventures and experiences allowed us to open up to each other, which is crucial in the therapeutic process. For many of our charges, these days were a chance to discover new aspects of their own personalities, understand their emotions and learn how to cope with the challenges of everyday life.

We returned as a close-knit group, richer in new experiences and valuable friendships that will surely continue long after the camp ends. It is these relationships, built on trust and mutual support, that are one of the most valuable therapeutic effects of our trips. We are already looking forward to our next adventures and challenges together!

We would like to thank ISS Facility Services for conducting fantastic workshops for our youth and for donating sports equipment.

We would like to thank the August department of the Pilecki Institute for organizing a meeting with Sybiraks.

The photos were taken by Jakub Peda.

In Warsaw, our charges recently took part in a special workshop for mothers from orphanages, focusing on developing practical knowledge of skin care, basic makeup and proper color selection. The purpose of these meetings is not only to impart skills, but also to build self-confidence and awareness of one’s own appearance.

During the skin care class, a specialist shared the secrets of professional skin care, tailoring them to the individual needs of the participants. The makeup workshop focused on enhancing natural beauty, and learning how to choose colors helped participants understand which shades best suit their complexion and style.

Our charges from Lodz together with their children went to an improvised performance “Wymyślanka- an improvised fairy tale” by the IMPRO Comedy Theater in Lodz, during which… it was the youngest spectators who decided what would happen on stage! Toddlers had the opportunity to experience the magic of theater, which not only develops their artistic senses, but also has a positive impact on emotional development.

We sincerely thank all those who support our brave mothers. Thanks to your commitment, they have a chance for a peaceful and happy motherhood, and their little ones – for a carefree childhood!

Our sincere thanks go to Hotel Arche, which organized the workshop and Sylwia Piwowarczyk, who conducted it. The photos were taken by Marcin Kossakowski. We sincerely thank you!

A special day is behind us. On December 9, the headquarters of the Foundation became PGE Narodowy! On that day our charges, staff and friends gathered to celebrate together the EIGHTH BIRTHDAY OF THE HAPPY WAY FOUNDATION!

We wanted this day to belong first and foremost to our kids. That’s why they took the reins at the most important points of the event – Patryk and Angelika led the meeting, Kamil was responsible for sound and multimedia, Kuba took photos, and Ania prepared a wonderful birthday cake! The meeting was highlighted by a performance by Staszek and Piotrek, who rapped their own original piece, while Gosia and Oskar gave celebratory speeches.

As every year, four of our mentees were also awarded the title of Strongman for overcoming personal difficulties and thus becoming an inspiration to others. Thanks to the support of ISS Facility Services, they received awards that will help them develop and achieve their educational and professional goals. We also gave Friends awards to the partners and institutions that supported us this year – Asseco Data Systems, Group One, the Administrative Center for Foster Care and the Municipal Social Assistance Center in Lodz. We also presented the Zephyr award to the Orlen Foundation in gratitude for its support of foster care youth becoming independent.

Our meeting was also attended by the truest Santa Claus, who handed out gifts to the little ones of our young mothers. Our wards, meanwhile, received gift cards to clothing stores and Christmas letters from their assistants. The icing on the cake was a tour of the National Stadium and a festive dinner.

Thank you for being with us! Over these eight years, together with you, we have created a place where kids from orphanages feel safe, accepted and listened to, and can spread their wings!

We would like to extend special thanks to the companies that supported us in organizing the event:

Thank you to ISS Facility Services for funding the prizes for the Strongmen.

We would like to thank Group One, Asseco Data Systems, Novartis, PwC Poland, ISS World Services, ISS Facility Services, Hays Poland for taking part in our Christmas campaign and funding gift cards for our wards.

Thank you to PwC Poland and ISS World Services for preparing gifts for the little ones.

We would like to thank PGE Narodowy for providing the hall and helping to organize the event.

Another meeting within the Mentoring 2.0 series is behind us. On Friday afternoon, our young people took the helm at TUZ Insurance and learned the ins and outs of working for a Polish insurance company.

The meeting began with a brief introduction and presentation of the company’s activities. Our hosts prepared refreshments for us, which especially pleased the kids. Eaten and full of energy, we proceeded to the challenges, prepared especially for our visit. Participants of Mentoring 2.0 were divided into three groups, which had the opportunity to see in practice how to work in important departments of the company: IT, HR and Call Center.

In the IT department, our kids faced quite a challenge – they had to steer the carriage in such a way that it crossed the TUZ sign on the tracks without collision! Each participant had a role in a team consisting of programmers, software testers, analysts and architects. The kids handled the task singingly. The IT staff convinced us that in addition to technical knowledge, working with modern technologies relies on creativity and a willingness to constantly develop their skills.

The group that worked in HR had the opportunity to get to know themselves better and discover their predispositions. The young people created a mind map, thanks to which they were able to think about what professional direction they would like to go in and how to achieve it. The HR department employees convinced us that it’s not worth giving up and there is always a way to achieve one’s goal.

In the Call Center department, our kids had the opportunity to see what direct work with the company’s customers looks like. We learned what the course of an employee’s conversation with a customer looks like, what to expect and how to respond. We were also given a tour of the department and saw what its facilities look like.

At the very end, all participants received gifts, but the real reward was a solid dose of inspiration and the belief that you can work in a friendly place, doing what you love!

We would like to thank TUZ Ubezpieczenia for showing our young people that interesting work can bring immense satisfaction and it is worthwhile to search for one’s dream career path!

Mentoring 2.0 is a fantastic adventure for both participants and hosts, so we warmly invite you to join us!

We welcomed autumn busily – behind us were workshop trips that gave us a boost for the coming end of the year. The away workshops are often breakthrough moments in working with our young people. It’s a beautiful time when they discover themselves and open up to others.

KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS

A lowered head, a hood over his head… when Piotrek came to the Foundation he applied the principle of limited trust. As with many of our new charges, so with him there were questions. Will I be accepted? Will I find myself in a new group? Does it make sense?

In order to help our new charges find their way in the Foundation and start working with an independence assistant, we organize for them trips Meet Your Strengths. Under the watchful eye of a qualified and experienced trainer and coach, the young people go on a journey through the land of their personality. The program is intensive – participants take part in workshops, perform various tasks and solve a test. All this is done to learn as much as possible about themselves – their dominant brain hemisphere or intelligence, learning style, personality type and Gallup talents. We show them that something that has always been perceived by those around us as a disadvantage is simply a trait, the recognition of which can make it easier for us to learn or function in society. Piotrek was very surprised to learn that his inability to sit still indicates that he has a kinesthetic-tactile learning style and absorbs knowledge better when he moves and is engaged in something.

By discovering their potential and the meanderings of their personalities, kids begin to understand themselves better. During the trip, they often hear for the first time that everything is fine with them and that every trait is valuable – it’s just worth learning to use it skillfully. This is also helped by individual coaching sessions with a coach, who creates a detailed report for each participant. During the meeting, young people learn how to work with their strengths, how to develop them and use them in building a good future. Independence assistants give the report to the participants’ caregivers during the meeting. This also gives them a chance to better understand their charges.

On the trip Piotrek slowly began to open up. Every day he spoke more and more confidently at the workshop, more and more often you could see a smile on his face – it was the first time he heard so many good things about himself. Not insignificant was the support of the group, which integrated strongly during the classes together. Piotrek was worried whether he would find his way among strangers – after all, he often felt invisible among his peers and was the loner type. However, at the end of the trip he stated with amazement: “I have new friends. I’m not alone!”. At the farewell there was no shortage of emotions, but fortunately we knew that the next day we will meet at the Foundation and there are many interesting projects ahead! Because the result of the trip is not only new friendships, but also the belief that dreams are achievable!

A HAPPY WAY TO ADULTHOOD

The time after leaving foster care is especially difficult. Without proper support, it’s hard to embrace the new reality and start a fully independent life. In addition to the feeling of loneliness, there are problems with everyday things to do – paying for an apartment, going to the doctor, bank or office, preparing a healthy meal for themselves…. It is difficult for them to find their way in the adult world. In the process of becoming independent, professional support is key, so that the young person feels that he has the ground under his feet. Therefore, on the last weekend of September we went to Nieporęt, where our young adults took part in a development workshop.

During the trip, participants had the opportunity to find out… what color they are! Sound mysterious? It is, of course, about the color of personality – blue, green, yellow and red. Each of them corresponds to a certain group of characteristics – for example, green stands for a caring, empathetic, patient, calm person, and red for a determined, competitive, demanding and determined person. The class helped participants not only discover their personality, but also learn how they can use it – at school, at work or in their interactions with other people. The joint trip was also a time to let others get to know us, try to open up to others and build relationships not only with peers, but also with their independence assistants. We learned to listen to each other and communicate in a kind yet effective way. Participants particularly remembered an activity in which they drew a person whom they then had to depict with a caricature. The group then guessed who the drawing depicted. The task showed how important it is to listen to the other person, paying attention to what he or she wants to convey.

The first away workshop for young adults was an intense, but also a beautiful, valuable time. We came back full of enthusiasm for further work and are already looking forward to the next trip!

The trip for the older group of wards was carried out as part of a public task financed by funds from the budget of the Mazovian Voivodeship.

Summer is slowly coming to an end, and the school year has begun in earnest…. this is a great opportunity to sweeten the time with memories of the last days of summer vacation!

Our kids from Warsaw and Lodz once again took up the paddling challenge and faced one of the four elements. Annual canoeing trips guarantee the end of vacations with a bump, so in August our youngsters from Lodz went on a canoeing trip on the Pilica River, and from Warsaw on the Wkra and Narew Rivers. We have to admit that we were swept away by the current of fun!

Despite fatigue, smiles showed on the faces of the charges every now and then. Active recreation and contact with nature helped relieve the stress of difficult everyday life and allowed them to look at problems from a different perspective. More than one participant was surprised by the strength of his own abilities, and overcoming the river turned out to be a small brick on the way to building self-confidence. Rafting is also an opportunity to integrate, open up to new relationships and build confidence. We learned that we can overcome any difficulty by working together and helping each other.

Both groups coped with the sporting task in masterful style, so to recharge our batteries we prepared a bonfire and refreshments for all the brave canoeists. We returned from the trips with positive energy, ready for the new challenges that the new school year will bring!

We would like to thank the LOTTO Foundation, as well as the Mazovian Voivodeship and the Mazovian Social Policy Center for their support in implementing the project.

Rafting in Lodz was financed by the LOTTO Foundation named after Halina Konopacka.
The rafting trip in Warsaw was financed by the LOTTO Foundation named after Halina Konopacka and with funds from the budget of the Mazovian Voivodeship.

Those who follow our activities closely are well aware that our kids have a truly athletic spirit! Behind us is another active year, during which they poured hectoliters of sweat at workouts and, above all, took care of their health! This would not have been possible without the cooperation with the network of ZDROFIT fitness clubs, which donated free passes to our young people, so that nothing would stand in the way of developing a passion for physical activity.

ZDROFIT is currently the largest fitness network in Poland. It has as many as 95 clubs in total, which are distinguished by the richest offer of group classes in Poland, gyms equipped with high-quality equipment, and access to a wide range of services such as personal training with dedicated trainers and instructors who help clubbers change their habits, take care of their health and well-being every day.

Read more about ZDROFIT at: www.zdrofit.pl

In today’s article, we’ll tell you the reasons why our kids put themselves in the training room regularly.

SPORT MEANS HEALTH

Undeniably, physical activity can support us in maintaining our health. Regular training has a positive effect on the heart, cardiovascular system, hormonal balance or healthy bones. Together with ZDROFIT, we teach kids that it’s worth taking care of their health and building the right habits every day, rather than just looking for solutions when we get sick.

FOR BETTER WELL-BEING

Sometimes daily challenges can seem overwhelming…. Physical activity is an important element not only in the prevention of physical health, but also mental health! Through physical exercise, our youngsters can expel negative emotions, de-stress and calm their thoughts. This is a time when our kids can take care of a moment for themselves

LEARNING TO PERSEVERE

Every workout you do is work on being systematic and building healthy habits. Regular physical activity makes our young people notice a correlation – when you are patient and consistent in what you do, you will eventually reach the goal you set for yourself! Training at the club is a real lesson in regularity and perseverance, which our kids are beginning to apply in their daily lives. Sport also teaches them to enjoy every progress, even small ones, and to never stop striving to achieve their dreams!

We would like to thank the network of ZDROFIT fitness clubs for another year of cooperation and supporting our charges in discovering the charm of regular physical activity!

Another edition of the LIFE-CHANGING HOLIDAYS is behind us! At the end of June we went to Okuninka, where for 10 days our kids took part in a number of developmental workshops and actively relaxed after a busy school year.

I (DON’T) WANT TO!

“And can’t I stay in the room?” – the question that arose at the beginning of the camp heralded problems with motivation for any activity. And we had a lot planned! We faced a serious task – to show the kids that it is possible to have a cool and valuable vacation instead of sitting with your nose in your phone, locked alone in your room.

Despite the initial reluctance, all the participants bravely showed up at the workshop in the morning. Day by day, more and more commitment was evident. It turned out that absorbing new knowledge doesn’t have to be boring – each workshop was focused on practical exercises. During the workshop on coping with stress we mastered relaxation techniques, and at the workshop on counteracting addiction we acted out scenes inspired by everyday events. There was also plenty of discussion, thanks to which the kids began to open up and share their, often surprisingly mature, thoughts.

I was surprised that so many people were involved and supported each other.

Camp participant

Of course, there was also no shortage of active recreation. At the end of the camp, everyone recalled sumo competitions, bicycle trips or field games, and no longer remembered that the first two days were hard to gather even to go to the beach. It was wonderful to see the kids gain the desire and energy for action, which, despite the end of the camp, still propelled us to be active.

I AM NOT ALONE WITH THIS…

A sense of loneliness and misunderstanding accompanies many of our kids. It seems to them that they are a lonely island. LIFE-CHANGING HOLIDAYS show that it doesn’t have to be that way at all! The camps are always accompanied by a friendly and safe atmosphere. Kids appreciate that they can often open up and tell their stories for the first time. Suddenly, they find that they all have a similar set of experiences and can support each other together.

At the camp, I was shown that no matter what happens, I am not alone in this. I learned that you have to support each other in spite of everything.

Camp participant

The workshop on emotions turned out to be exceptional, during which many participants were surprised at how important a role they play in our lives and decided that from now on they will look at them more carefully and not keep them inside. Thanks to the daily work, the kids also saw that it’s worth respecting each other’s boundaries, listening to others, and clarifying all misunderstandings right away, because that’s how we create a cohesive team.

I learned that emotions have an important role in our lives.

Camp participant

The end of the camp always makes us emotional, but we look forward to continuing to work with our wonderful kids. We returned to Warsaw as a close-knit team. From Okuninka we took with us a lot of inspiration, valuable knowledge and many beautiful memories that will give us energy for the next year.

We would like to thank from the bottom of our hearts all of our Donors – without your support, we would not have been able to organize the Life-changing Holidays!

The camp was financed with funds from the Orlen Foundation and the PKO BP Foundation, towards which we extend our heartfelt thanks!