Renovation of the Family-Type Children’s Home in Wierzbice

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Since April 2017 we have been supporting the renovation of the Family-Type Children’s Home which is run by Maciejka and Jerzy in Wierzbice (south-west of Poland). The aim of the project is to adapt the house and its surroundings to the needs of four disabled children, two of whom are in wheelchairs.

Who do we help? (about the family of Maciejka and Jerzy)

Maciejka and Jerzy live in Wierzbice (near Wrocław) and they are educated as fine artists. In addition to creating works of art, Maciejka works as a therapist in a special care center. This is how she met David, a handicapped boy with whom she developed a special bond.

After Maciejka and Jerzy raised their own two children, they decided to adopt David. Later they also adopted Łukasz, Paulina, and Patrycja, who all have developmental difficulties. Two of the adopted children move around in wheelchairs due to cerebral palsy. Together they make up the Family-Type Children’s Home in Wierzbice.

What needs to be done? (about the family’s housing situation)

Initially, the entire family lived in an old house which Maciejka and Jerzy partially adapted to the needs of the children. However, over time it became too difficult for Jerzy to carry the children upstairs. During the search for a solution to this problem, a sponsor appeared and donated a one-story barrack brought in from the Netherlands. With the help of many good-willed people, the barrack has been partially renovated and now serves as a house for the children and parents. It is necessary to complete the renovation so the children have appropriate housing conditions and can become more independent in their daily lives. In addition to completing the works inside the house, it is essential to eliminate barriers around the house, create wheelchair paths and ramps, and install a fence around the property.

How do we help? (about the renovation project)

Maciejka and Jerzy do their best to support the children’s development so they spend most of their money for the children’s treatment and rehabilitation. As a result, they need help in doing the renovation works aimed at providing the children with good housing conditions.

We help in the renovation of the Family-Type Children’s Home in Wierzbice by conducting various works, such as:

Finishing the interior of the house
Working outside to adapt the surroundings to the limitations of the handicapped children (e.g. building paved paths so it is possible to enter the garden in a wheelchair)

The works take place under the supervision of our qualified builders and are supported by Habitat volunteers from Poland and abroad:

Until June 2017, we organized 3 one-day corporate volunteering events. There were attended by 48 participants who work at the Credit Suisse office in Wrocław.
In June 2017, a group of 9 US volunteers helped us for a week. They came to us as part of the Thrivent Builds program, which is a partnership between Habitat for Humanity International and the American company Thrivent Financial.