In 2001 we created “La Troballa”, the occupational workshop of Arrels to host those people who were frail and/or at greater risk. It is a space aimed at helping individuals restructure their lives, to enable them to use their spare time effectively and to regain and develop personal and social skills by getting involved in craft activities.
Rocío Alonso
Workshop Manager
"In the workshop we develop handcraft activities, which are not only a tool to keep people’s trust alive but also help them develop their personal and social skills."
Testimonials
“This Great Family”Jaume Marsé
When I first attended “La Troballa” I was living in a hostel, in a room where I could never see the daylight. Logically, any change would have been for the better. I spent sunny days sat on a bench in la Rambla del Raval, reading or completing a crossword, strolling down Las Ramblas or visiting a museum; and I spent cold, or rainy, days in the hostel reading or listening to the radio.
“When one cannot tell the beginning from the end of sharing” Anna Tudurí Workshop Volunteer
It might not be enough to put in words my experience of volunteering in Arrels’ workshop. To be able to make sense of it, one should experience it firsthand. I normally spend a long while sharing the informal talks that surrounds the handcraft-artistic work done during the morning. It is wonderful to feel how sense of humour and affection lighten up the personal burdens of each story that is shared.
(in spanish) This text was written by the head of the Street Team and examines the different terms used to refer to roofless people. It outlines the rationale in favor of using the concept of “persons in a situation of homelessness". pdf_ 67kb
You cannot judge a book by its cover
(in spanish) Who are the homeless? Is it possible to speak about phases of exclusion? The head of the Street Team has written this document to attempt to answer these questions and to debunk some clichés surrounding homelessness. pdf_ 58kb
LLAMADA A DESCRIPCION
In 2001 we created “La Troballa”, the occupational workshop of Arrels to host those people who were frail and/or at greater risk. It is a space aimed at helping individuals restructure their lives, to enable them to use their spare time effectively and to regain and develop personal and social skills by getting involved in craft activities.
Every morning, an average 19 people, accompanied by an educator and 2 volunteers, participate in the workshop routine: after having breakfast together, each person is made responsible for a specific task according to their different capabilities and circumstances. As a result of this daily work, “La Troballa” has participated this year in 11 fairs where the resulting products have been shown and sold.
The educational programme proposed by this workshop allows, through artistic expression, to foster personal relationships, tolerance, teamwork, self-esteem and responsibility to work on the assigned tasks. One of the main characteristics of “La Troballa” is its collectivist character: every week, all participants contribute to an assembly with their views and propose activities and new group dynamics.
Contact: Rocío Alonso Tel. 93 441 29 90
LLAMADA A RESPONSABLE
Rocío Alonso
Workshop Manager
"In the workshop we develop handcraft activities, which are not only a tool to keep people’s trust alive but also help them develop their personal and social skills."
Homeless individuals suffer from deficiencies that hamper their day-to-day interaction with other people, and coming to our workshop helps them in this respect. They feel welcome and useful. Even if they fail to attend, they know that they belong here, and that they are expected.
Rocío Alonso was born 37 years ago in Logronyo. She studied Pedagogy in Salamanca and a year of Psychology in France. She works as a social worker. All of her professional career has been linked to social tasks, especially with people suffering from psychiatric disorders. She worked for three years on jobseeking skills with adults with learning difficulties, and four years in music therapy programmes for children and teenagers suffering from psychosis and autism. Since March 2001 she works as the head of the Occupational Workshop in Arrels’ Centre Obert.
What do you do in the Occupational Workshop?
We host 15 people everyday, Monday to Friday from 9 in the morning to 1 in the afternoon. These are people referred by the Centre Obert’s staff, after close monitoring. The basic criteria are: people with different types of rootlessness, with grave physical or mental health problems who are waiting to be referred to other institutions for age or health related reasons and people who might be at special risk in the mornings.
At risk?
Yes, because they might need control with their medication, or suffer from chronic alcohol abuse and have a great risk of relapse if they roam around in the streets. For some people, inactivity is a risk.
They need to use their spare time... In the workshop we develop handcraft activities, which are not only a tool to keep people’s trust alive but also help them develop their personal and social skills. Homeless individuals suffer from deficiencies that hamper their day-to-day interaction with other people, and coming to our workshop helps them with this respect. They feel welcome and useful. Even if they fail to attend, they know that they belong here, and that they are expected.
What type of activities are offered?
At the beginning there was just one activity for everybody: one month, for instance, we would make baskets; the other, oilpainting, etc. But I realised that having one single activity for such a diverse group of people, was not working that well. Many people found it difficult to keep up, and conversely they had skills that were not developed. It appeared that activities should be useful, for them or for the centre.
What’s a normal day like? The activities we develope are handcrafts, but at the same time they aim to develop social and interpersonal skills. It is very important to find a balance: the everyday handcraft work provides a space of regularity, so that we can work on the skills, which are the most important. A normal morning has a well defined structure: at 9am everybody has breakfast that they themselves have prepared. Being together gathered on a round table, where everybody can see each other, creates a familiar context and enables conversation, and it allows me to observe their moods on the day, and orient the nature of the tasks. Afterwards, each one of them focuses on a specific activity.
And, does it work? Yes, because it makes them feel useful. Many of them do not have acquired working habits, or have not practised them for so long, that they have forgotten them. In the workshop, everybody knows that there is a place for them and that they will be trusted. The workshop is not, though, a place where one only receives, but also gives. Most activities are done in group, which helps them think as part of a team. The workshop, besides occupying their morning slot, is a space for learning.
Are there any cases or people you remember specially? There are cases which are truly very difficult. For instance, I remember Alfonso Segura who suffered from Huntington’s Corea, which is a condition that provokes uncontrollable bodily moves, both inside and outside. He was ashamed because he used to drop things. To make him more comfortable we would give him unbreakable objects. We also found out he loved music and we gave him a cassete tape case to decorate for a friend. Instead of a brush, we gave him a sponge with which he made repetitive moves, which ultimately allowed him to finish it. From then on, he learnt he could do many more things. It was nice to see how he gained the respect from the rest of the group. From that difficulty emerged a very positive and encouraging experience.
And how do you handle it? Although the relation is pretty close, I try not to take those emotions with me back home. I try to be by their side, but respecting their decisions. If I do sometimes take some of these emotions with me, it makes me stronger. The dynamics of my job have also allowed me to discover my own personal resources. I feel fortunate for taking part in the process these people undergo.
How is this process? First, they are eyes, eyes that look with not much trust. They are like jigsaw puzzles with their pieces in the wrong place, and to cooperate to put them back together is enriching for me as a professional and as a person. They are surprised by their own progress. At each step they seem to see things clearer, and it is nice to see how they come up with their own proposals. What do you say to the volunteers who become involved in this process? Not to give too much importance to the personal history of each of them, to those things they might have done in the past. What really matters is the global history of the person.
What is the current situation? Today we have reached a balance between the production of objects that can be sold and the initial objectives. In the early days of the workshop, one could think that they only come back for the cigarettes or for breakfast, but as time went by we could see how the idea evolved. Now, we have already received several petitions for the products we make for weddings and other celebrations, and we have participated in several fairs during this year 2007. These motivate people a lot. The revenue is used for a having lunch out together or to make a cultural visit. Our daily breakfasts are likewise financed with the sale of the products.
Which should be the next step for the workshop? We have to consolidate what we have achieved so far. It is very encouraging to engage in activities that have immediate returns and that make them feel useful, but it is even more important for them to know they have a place amongst us and they are trusted. We have meetings , normally once a week, in which we delegate responsibilities: taking care of the kitchen, finances, etc. We also talk about the potential problems between them, and their worries; it is important for them to have a space to give their opinion. I would not like to finish without stressing that giving them something to do or a roof over their heads might be important, but the fundamental issue here is to make it possible for them to have a home.
Rocío Alonso Responsible for the Occupational Workshop
LLAMADA A TESTIMONIS
“This Great Family”Jaume Marsé
When I first attended “La Troballa” I was living in a hostel, in a room where I could never see the daylight. Logically, any change would have been for the better. I spent sunny days sat on a bench in la Rambla del Raval, reading or completing a crossword, strolling down Las Ramblas or visiting a museum; and I spent cold, or rainy, days in the hostel reading or listening to the radio.
“When one cannot tell the beginning from the end of sharing” Anna Tudurí Workshop Volunteer
It might not be enough to put in words my experience of volunteering in Arrels’ workshop. To be able to make sense of it, one should experience it firsthand. I normally spend a long while sharing the informal talks that surrounds the handcraft-artistic work done during the morning. It is wonderful to feel how sense of humour and affection lighten up the personal burdens of each story that is shared.
(in spanish) This text was written by the head of the Street Team and examines the different terms used to refer to roofless people. It outlines the rationale in favor of using the concept of “persons in a situation of homelessness". pdf_ 67kb
You cannot judge a book by its cover
(in spanish) Who are the homeless? Is it possible to speak about phases of exclusion? The head of the Street Team has written this document to attempt to answer these questions and to debunk some clichés surrounding homelessness. pdf_ 58kb
Blog that allows people to share their experiences of and thoughts on the work of volunteers and professionals against social exclusion. http://hotelmilestrellas.blogspot.com
LLAMADA A VIDEOS
2008
"La Troballa"
TVE Excerpt of the documentary “Arrels, raíces para una nueva vida”, produced by the TV programme “Pueblo de Dios”, which shows the operation of Arrels’ own occupational workshop.
What we do
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