Introduction
Among the typical features of contemporary society is the rapid widening of the gap between the rich and the poor. Many families in material or social need experience a feeling of life losing its meaning. Single mothers with children, large families, widows with young children and the long-term unemployed are often depressed and lose a sense of their own worth.
Personal experience with families in material and social need led the author to write this publication. She provided individual help to these families for many years. In April 2010, she decided to institutionalize her support and, together with other members, founded the civic association Maják nádeje based in Košice. The association was created in response to the needs of families in distress.
The publication deals with the problem of poverty and social exclusion. At the same time, it offers a view of the poor as a person who longs for dignity despite difficult circumstances.
The aim of the scholarly monograph is to identify the situation of families living in crisis life situations and clearly present the individual features that characterize them. It also evaluates the situation of families in need and assesses whether help from the state and the non-profit sector is necessary.
The monograph consists of seven chapters. The first chapter addresses families in crisis in general—where dysfunctional families, families experiencing long-term unemployment, and families living in poverty belong. The author also pays attention to stress as a manifestation of strain situations in families.
The second chapter is devoted to accompanying people in difficult life situations. The main focus of the third chapter is volunteering, its contribution, and practical examples from Maják nádeje. The association Maják nádeje, its recipients and concrete activities aimed at easing and removing families’ social exclusion are described in detail in the fourth and fifth chapters. The seventh chapter presents the outcomes the association achieved during ten years of its activity. A particular contribution is the presentation of individual activities and initiatives in different areas in which the association offered help to families, as well as good practice. In the final chapter, the results of a quantitative survey are presented, which examined the situation of the families that requested help from the OZ Maják nádeje over the ten years of its work.
CONTENT
1 FAMILY IN CRISIS 1.1 DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES 1.2 UNEMPLOYMENT IN FAMILIES 1.3 FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY 1.4 STRESS AS A STRESSFUL SITUATION
2 SUPPORTING IN CRISIS 2.1 TYPES OF SUPPORTING 2.2 SOCIAL SUPPORT 2.3 LAY AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT
3 VOLUNTEERS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION 3.1 TYPES OF VOLUNTEERING 3.2 MOTIVATION FOR VOLUNTEERING 3.3 IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTEERING 3.4 AREAS OF VOLUNTEERING 3.5 EXAMPLES FROM PRACTICE
4 MAJÁK NÁDEJE 4.1 ASSOCIATION FOCUS 4.2 PROVIDERS OF HELP 4.3 BENEFICIARIES OF HELP
5 ACTIVITIES OF MAJÁK NÁDEJE 5.1 MATERIAL AND FINANCIAL HELP 5.2 FOOD ASSISTANCE 5.3 EDUCATIONAL AND UPBRINGING ACTIVITY 5.4 CREATIVE WORKSHOPS 5.5 CULTURAL AND SPORTS ACTIVITY 5.6 PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY (SOCIAL SERVICES) 5.7 PUBLISHING AND RESEARCH ACTIVITY 5.7.1 PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH 5.7.2 SCHOLARLY MONOGRAPHS 5.7.3 FAIRY TALES – EDITION FOR CHILDREN 5.7.4 GIFT BOOKS 5.7.5 INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES 5.7.6 JOURNAL 5.8 APOSTOLATE
6 GOOD PRACTICE 6.1 STAFF TRAINING 6.2 MAIN VISIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION
7 QUANTITATIVE SURVEY 7.1 METHODOLOGY OF WORK 7.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESPONDENT SAMPLE 7.3 QUESTIONNAIRE ASSESSMENT 7.4 INTERPRETATION OF RESEARCH DATA
Title: WHEN THE FAMILY SUFFERS. Help, Support, Accompaniment Author: Soňa Vancáková Year of publication: 2020 Publisher and printing: Equilibria, Košice Number of pages: 210 Edition: first Reviewer: Ján Knapík ISBN 978-80-8143-270-5