For the volunteer community service in Italy, there are 1,081 places as regards the ordinary “Universal Civil Service”, in addition to another 28 places in the “Digital Education Lab” (DEL). This last program is the novelty of this year's call, the "Digital Civil Service" which involves "Salesians for Social" with the "Zenit Consortium" in Tuscany, the Provinces of the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Southern Italy and Sicily and "Emmaus Foggia".
Another 63 places are available for the Community Service abroad, shared between "Salesians for Social" (53 places) and the "VIS" (10 places), available in Brazil, Angola, Namibia, Ghana, Senegal, Albania and Spain.
In all circumstances, the young people who will be selected will be called to spend several months of commitment and service in favor of others and especially of the neediest young people; they will be trained in the values of active citizenship; they will also have the opportunity to get to know Don Bosco's Preventive System. Accompaniment to educational activities in oratories, schools, day-care centers, reception communities, as well as in Salesian development initiatives abroad are just some of the many options that are now offered to young people between 18 and 28 years of age - Italians, from European Union countries or non-EU citizens legally residing in Italy.
The community service projects were presented last May and involved the staff of the national headquarters of Salesians for Social in co-programming with the International Voluntary Service for Women, Education and Development (VIDES) and with the National League of Cooperatives and Mutual Aid, while the co-planning also involved Caritas and the “Christian Associations of Italian Workers” (ACLI).
"Involving over 1,000 young people in the experience of the Universal Community Service of the 'Salesians for Social' represents a fundamental opportunity of civilization for the young people who participate and for the whole country, because they are able to promote the culture of volunteering in an operational way, of solidarity, of social inclusion, of help towards the most vulnerable: founding values of our society besieged by the virus of selfishness and the primacy of profit," said Fr Francesco Preite, President of 'Salesiani per il Sociale'."
To apply for one of the projects, young people must submit an application online at: https://domandaonline.serviziocivile.it
