Social Assistance

Within Social Assistance there are a number of sub-activities. Below is an overview.

WOW vacations for people with physical and mental disabilities

Finding a vacation destination is difficult, and most hotels are not adapted for wheelchairs or for vacationers who are bedridden. Moreover, people with disabilities require a lot of care.

That is why the Red Cross organizes adapted vacations. These are open to vacationers who have difficulty going on vacation due to illness, disability, age or social circumstances. For many guests, it has been years since they were able to go on vacation. They can be accompanied by a caregiver, their partner or a friend.

WOW vacations for people with disabilities take place at Domein Polderwind in Zuienkerke. More info on the general Red Cross website. 

WOW camps for socially vulnerable children

A lot of children cannot go on vacation during the summer. Often financial or family circumstances prevent them from doing so. That is why we organize vacation camps for socially vulnerable children between 7 and 14 years old. This way they too can enjoy a week of fun and have cool vacation stories to tell their classmates. There are the WOW camps (for socially vulnerable children) and the WOW camps+ (for socially vulnerable children with disabilities). 

Bridge Figures

Children from underprivileged or immigrant families, but also children with disabilities, children whose parents or grandparents have died, children whose parents have recently divorced, ... often have a difficult time at school and could use some extra guidance. As a volunteer of the "Bridge Figures" project, you take on this task.

For the bridging the gap project , your department collaborates with one or more schools. After all, it is important that volunteer initiatives connect to what is happening in the school. A professional force from the school (bridge person, school development officer, care coordinator, task teacher, teacher, principal...) coaches the volunteers. This person determines what tasks the volunteer will take on depending on their interests and availability and provides substantive support. More info. 

library service for hospitals and care institutions

If you are staying in a care facility, a book, DVD, ... can be a welcome relaxation. For that, there is our library service for hospitals and care institutions. Volunteers visit residents and lend them books or CDs or DVDs. There is also time for a virtuous chat. More info. 

rental service for medical equipment

Does someone need an aid temporarily due to illness or old age? For example, crutches, a walker, wheelchair, electric high-low bed or mattress against bedsores? Then that person can turn to the lending services of Red Cross departments for these. Through these services, Red Cross volunteers lend out more than 15,000 aids each year, all of which meet Red Cross quality standards.

To find out which rental service for medical equipment you can go to for a particular resource in a particular region, a search application is available that can also be used by the general public.