Prevention and Social Education Centre UMBRELLA

Prevention and Social Education Centre UMBRELLA (Centrum Profilaktyki i Edukacji Społecznej PARASOL) is an NGO based in Cracov working mainly with street children and sex workers.

Currently UMRELLA runs three projects:
• Rakowicka 10 - outreach program dedicated to street children
• Parasol Uliczny (Street Umbrella) - outreach program dedicated to sex worker's (since 1998 to female sex workers and since 2004 also to male sex workers);
• Parasol Więzienny (Prison Umbrella)- program dedicated to prisoners (since 1998).

UMBRELLA has a team of experienced members, who are a wide-reaching specialist in street work, family therapy, sexual education, HIV and STI prevention, social work, crisis intervention, drug and alcohol counseling.

Program "Rakowicka 10" is directed towards street children, who although usually officially share address with their parents or other social-help institution, spend most of the time on the street. Frequently they are also fugitives from home or other rehabilitation, care and education centers for children and young people, juvenile prostitutes, subculture members, children working on the street.
Main activities within "Rakowicka 10" program are:
• outreach services and street pedagogy among street children, aimed at establishing contact and relationship with beneficiaries in their own environment (Krakow city center, especially shopping malls, train station, bus station, Main Square)
• Running "Center Rakowicka 10", which is a safe space for youth, where we provide services aimed at developing of social skills and providing support (social, educational, psychological)
• Crisis and social intervention (professional social help, consultations, psychological support)
• Cooperation with institutions engaged in helping or supervising child's family of origin and with children through creating interdisciplinary teams

Program "Parasol Uliczny" is dedicated to female sex worker and has been run since 1998. Program "Parasol - Planty" was an outreach service dedicated to youth MSM and is run since September 2004 and in 2006 was included into the program "Parasol Uliczny". In the framework of this programs PARASOL offers free and confidential services to people engaged in sex work. Our services focus on three main areas:
- information concerning HIV and sexual health, safe sexual behaviours and techniques, safety at work (sex workers), sexual minorities' rights and commercial sex workers' rights
- crisis intervention: direct actions and referral to specialized aid centres (medical, legal, psychological and social)
- social work, aimed at delivering the knowledge about public and non-governmental welfare system, aid institutions, assistance procedures, knowledge about the regulations in force concerning such issues as the legality of operations, migration, homelessness, sexual behaviours, access to aid institutions, etc.

Program Parasol Więzienny is dedicated to drug user's who serve a sentence in Krakow prison.

For several years CPES Parasol has been successfully cooperating with Krakow Municipality, in particular with President's Plenipotentiary for Youth and Municipality Social Welfare Centre. In 2005, on request of Krakow Municipality, CPES Parasol conducted research concerning phenomenon of street children in Krakow. Results of this research have been an inspiration to develop "Rakowicka 10" project.

Organization's activities are founded by donations and grants form public - governmental and municipal - founds. Moreover, CPES Parasol is establishing contact with business sector propagating ideas about necessity of corporate social responsibility.

CPES is a member of OSOS (Polish Streetworking Network).

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