SOlidary CAtolica volunteers commit to Ser+
"Joy of Commitment" was the theme of the commitment ceremony of CAtólica SOlidária (CASO) 22/23, which took place on 22 November on the campus of the Porto Regional Centre.
There were 91 volunteers who were present to publicly assume, before the University, the partner institutions and other volunteers, their annual volunteering commitment.
"We seek to train not only good technicians, but above all good people."
Constança Barbosa, coordinator of CASO, welcomed everyone present at the ceremony. Ana Evangelista, director of the António Cândido Centre, which welcomes children and young siblings, represented the partner institutions. The director of the António Cândido Centre addressed motivating words to the volunteers, thanking them for their dedication and willingness to leave their comfort zone, as they will be faced with different and difficult realities.
Also present were the Associação Bagos D'Ouro, Casa de Lordelo, Centro Social e Paroquial Nossa Senhora da Ajuda and FAP no Bairro. There are about 40 institutions that help to carry out the regular and occasional voluntary work of CASO.
Isabel Braga da Cruz, Pro-Rector of the Catholic University of Portugal, addressed an encouraging speech to the CASO volunteers, stressing that at Católica we aim to "form not only good technicians, but above all good people." Isabel Braga da Cruz also added that "aligned with Pope Francis' request in the Global Educational Pact to form young protagonists of the common good, capable of transforming the world and making it a better place, we seek to form builders of societies of peace."
CASO is "about sharing, care, kindness, surrender, the ability to look at the other, the development of human skills, giving and receiving... in conclusion, I think it can all be summed up in one word - 'transformation' - individual and collective," mentioned the president.
Carmo Themudo, coordinator of the Unit of Integral Development of the Person, and Raquel Matos, director of the Faculty of Education and Psychology, also participated in the event with interventions where they reinforced the importance of the role of volunteering and the connection to the community.
Commitment, joy and dynamism
The commitment ceremony included the intervention of two former volunteers, Eduardo Lopes and Mariana Rossi, who openly shared their time in CASO. The conversation "joy of commitment", moderated by Bárbara Ferreira, current volunteer, addressed the learning and experiences of these volunteers.
"We seek to train builders of peace societies."
After the moment of sharing, the dynamic of commitment was carried out. The volunteers, after signing the CASO Commitment book, left their handprint on a panel with the title "The joy of commitment," a mark that symbolizes all that they have to give in this year of volunteering and all the colour that is intended to bring to the lives of those with whom they will cross paths.
Ser+ with CASO
This academic year, in regular volunteering, CASO has 145 students from all faculties of the Porto Regional Centre who are distributed over seven volunteering areas:
SER+ Abrigo; voluntary work aimed at supporting people in vulnerable situations;
SER+ Ambiente: volunteering in activities that promote environmental protection;
SER+ Especial: volunteering for people with disabilities;
SER+ Exemplo: volunteering aimed at children/adolescents (educational context);
SER+ Profissional: volunteering which allows the knowledge obtained in academic training to be applied in practice;
SER+ Sabedoria: voluntary work for socially isolated elderly people;
SER+ Vida: volunteering for people in hospital.
For the first time this year, SER+ Cultura was created with the purpose of carrying out volunteer activities in institutions linked to culture.
It was a night where the "joy of being part of the CASO family" was celebrated and where it was possible to "see that CASO leaves its mark on those who pass through here and infects with joy those who arrive here. It was a source of pride to witness the commitment that the volunteers have taken on realizing that each one can make a difference to others," said Constança Barbosa.
