Arrels is a private foundation dedicated to providing services for homeless persons in the city of Barcelona.
The organization was born in 1987 and its main goal is to facilitate the holistic development of those people in a situation of social exclusion, and more specifically those in critical stages of homelessness. All throughout its existence, Arrels has had contact with more than 6,000 people. Our staff at present is composed of 40 professionals, 229 volunteers and nearly to 4,500 members and contributors who make possible the programmes of intervention we run. In 2007, it has had contact a total of 993 people and has provided stable accommodation for 135 individuals. It has a ‘Centre Obert’ in the Raval area, 11 supervised flats, and 30 permanent accommodation places in ‘Llar Pere Barnés,’ inaugurated on 29th November 2007.
The mission
• To support homeless people in chronic stages of exclusion by allowing them to develop as much independence as possible. • as much independence as possible. • To raise awareness amongst the general public of the problems of poverty which take place in our society. • To denounce unfair situations and contribute with proposals to tackle poverty and homelessness at the levels of public administration and civil society.
The vision
To create a detailed model of working with homeless people based on experience, personal treatment and knowledge, with the aim of becoming:
• A reference in the work in favour of the homeless • Instrument of social transformation through the commitment of individuals and communities.
The Values
• Volunteerism, free-of-charge services, generosity, availability and teamwork. Being with is more important than to doing things. • Personalisation individualised work according to the individual’s needs, demands and capabilities. • Respect of the person, his or her way of life and life story, pace, personal process, and decisions. • Being with is more important than "to doing things".
In terms of the ultimate goal, we believe it is important to highlight:
• Dignify the lives of homeless people, from recognising their personal autonomy and to recovering their rights and responsibilities.
• Autonomy, understood as the capacity of a person to choose and decide as independently as possible, without conditionings or dependency from third parties.
Legal status: Private Charity Foundation of Assistential Character, since 8th May 1998.
Origin of resources 2008
Our work is made possible thanks mainly to private donations (69%) and public administration support (23%), but we also highlight the fact that 8% of our income derives from our clients themselves who co-pay part of their accommodation and hence become responsible of their own process of personal improvement.
Financial Documents
You can download our financial documents for year 2007, audited by Pleta Auditors S.L:
"We must act as men of thought, and think as men of action."
Salvador Busquets, director of Fundació Arrels.
The first time I read this sentence, I realised I had found a way to define Arrels’ task. With these words, Henri Bergson, a French philosopher and writer, had found the balance between action and thought. And precisely on the basis of this equilibrium we pursue a two-fold objective: to assist homeless people in all their human complexity, and to raise the awareness of the citizenry towards poverty in our own environment. To attain this two-fold objective, Arrels relies on the team, formed by 40 professional members of staff and 229 volunteers organised as follows:
Des dels seus inicis l'any 1987 i posteriorment en la reformulació de l'entitat l'any 1998, es va optar per la forma jurídica de Fundació a fi de mantenir les persones en situació d'exclusió com a principals beneficiàries de la missió d'Arrels. Algunes de les funcions més significatives del nostre Patronat són, entre d'altres, vetllar pel compliment de l'Ideari, decidir les línies estratègiques de l'entitat a llarg termini, fixar els pricipis de funcionament d'Arrels en els seus diferents àmbits d'actuació i marcar els criteris de denúcia social que hem de fer com a entitat.
Membres del Patronat
President_Francec Vilurbina
Director mèdic de Sant Joan de Déu Serveis de Salut Mental. Fundador de la ONG GASSIP.
Vicepresidenta_Carme Zapata
Mestra i Educadora Social. Responsable de la formació d’adultos de la Fundació ESCÓ. Forma part de la Comissió Permanent de la ONG FISC.
Vocal_ Montserrat Girbau
Periodista, responsable de premsa de la Província Tarraconense de la Companyia de Jesús.
Secretari_Josep Miralles
Doctor en Sociologia i Llicenciat en Filosofia i Lletres. Catedràtic del departament de Ciències Socials d’ESADE. Vicepresident de la associació Ètica, Economia i Direcció – Associació Espanyola d’Ètica de la Economia i de les Organitzacions – (EBEN Espanya). President de la ONG Intermón – Oxfam i de la Fundació Migra Studium
Tresorer_ Josep Mª Feliu
Advocat
Vocal_ Joaquim Pons Director de la fundació Migra Studium
About us
Team
pdf_ 74kb
Director_ Salvador Busquets
