The Community of Madrid recognized Telefónica Volunteers’ efforts in their project on the social integration of people suffering from ALS by training them in new information technologies, sponsored by Asociación ADELA.
Madrid, 2 December 2011.- A group of Telefónica Volunteers has been awarded by the Council for Social Affairs of the Community of Madrid (Consejería de Asuntos Sociales de la Comunidad de Madrid) for their collaboration with ADELA (the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association) in the integration of people suffering from this illness by offering them training in information technologies.
Within the context of the International Volunteers Day, especially relevant this year as it coincides with the commemoration of the European Year of Volunteering 2011, the regional Government organized a series of activities, including the pivotal event, which was the special acknowledgement to the remarkable altruistic spirit, dedication and achievements of ten volunteers from different entities, in their efforts in different areas, chaired by the Minister of Social Affairs of the Community of Madrid, Mr Salvador Victoria Bolívar.
The ceremony, which took place at the Casa Encendida, was attended by José Félix Dones, head of Telefónica Volunteers Spain; Rocío López Trejo, a Telefónica Volunteer who received the award on behalf of all Telefónica Volunteers; and Adriana Guevara, president of ADELA.
The other nine award winners were: Pablo Velasco Lara, of CEATE (the Confederation of Classrooms for the Elderly); Rut Agudo Gil, of Asociación La Torre de Hortaleza; Mercedes Vallés Jiménez, Fundación Deporte y Desafío; José López Fernández, Asociación Basida; Gema Almorox Burgos, Spanish Red Cross Madrid; Isabel Cuesta del Amo, Sociedad San Vicente de Paul - Proyecto Hombre; Javier Poblete de Gracia, Asociación Reforesta; Marta Valdés García, AECC (the Spanish Association against Cancer); and Carlos Díez Nicolás, Seniors Españoles para la Cooperación Técnica (Spanish Seniors for Technical Cooperation).
Collaboration with ADELA
Nearly 40 Telefónica employees work with Asociación ADELA by supporting some of its cultural activities, including museum visits, home care and assistance, and counselling, administrative and IT tasks at the association’s headquarters.
The number of direct beneficiaries of the awarded project amounts to 12 patients, with indirect beneficiaries including their relatives, and the possibility of enabling a communication space through Telefónica’s webpage to help other people suffering the illness, to limit their isolation, and offer new continuity courses. Besides volunteer’s work, a final grant of 5,880 euros has been awarded for the conduction of training courses.
The Fight against the isolation of people suffering from ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative, progressive and deadly disease that affects motor neurons, resulting in weakness and muscular atrophy at all levels. It causes the affected patient to progressively lose motor and communication capabilities until a situation of total isolation and dependency in everyday activities is reached.
To provide the greatest level of relief to this situation, the association, in collaboration with Telefónica Volunteers, has carried out the ALS Patients Social Integration Through Training in New Information Technologies Project. In the project, volunteers engaged both as teachers in the courses organized to develop ICT skills, and as monitors in the scheduled cultural activities, accompanying patients
Asion Award
In line with this effort to prevent people suffering from ALS from becoming isolated, Telefónica Volunteers have also been awarded with the 6th Asion (the Oncological Child Association of the Community of Madrid) Award for the rollout of the Superando distancias (Overcoming Distances) programme, aimed at enabling communication between relatives and hospitalized children, by implementing new technology and social network solutions.
At the time of arriving to its decision, the jury highlighted the ongoing effort by the group of Telefónica Volunteers in their pursuit to promote social communication through projects targeted at children and youths in particular, and their support and collaboration for the execution of fun activities aimed at families.
Other winners in the Yearly Asion Awards Ceremony included the Regional Office of Oncological Coordination of the Community of Madrid, Red Cross Madrid Youth Programme, and Francisco Javier Font García (Famma-Cocemfe).
