Budapest, September 17, 2012 14:00

Those calling or sending text messages to the 1788 or 3688 hello holnap! Donation Line in September and October will be supporting the aims of the more than 20-year-old Menhely (Shelter) Foundation. Magyar Telekom has operated the Donation Line for the past 10 years and considers it important to contribute with its support to the creation of equal opportunities.

Currently several tens of thousands live without shelter in Hungary. Homeless people can hope to steadily improve their situation through the operation of programs that primarily aim at increasing their motivation. In addition to providing for their basic needs, the Menhely Foundation has organised programs for over 20 years aimed at helping homeless people back on their feet despite their serial failures and disappointments, their being neglected and deprived of chances. The Foundation intends to launch a complex program with the help of the Donation Line, which, while motivating the homeless to want to break out from their limitations, at the same time draws the attention of society to the issue and to the specific possibilities for help, through the involvement of volunteers.

In the first part of the program homeless people themselves will be involved in organising programs, which is intended to reinforce personal motivation and strengthen the individual. Homeless people taking part in the program will give talks about homelessness in schools, institutions of higher education and act as sensitizers in programs to be offered to workplaces; they can also try their hand at journalism. In this way they learn how to recognise their own faults, which they learn gradually to separate from the faults in the system caused by society and circumstances. Through their involvement they get a chance to build relations with people, to gain self-confidence and start feeling themselves useful and valuable. Society too will gain from the sensitizing programs, as those who hear the talks in schools and at workplaces can learn about the problems involved in homelessness at first hand. They can ask questions, provoke and contemplate—this process generates greater understanding and helps more to arouse the society’s attention and change attitudes.

The second half of the program is aimed at promoting the reintegration of homeless people into the society and the world of work. In order to achieve this, the Foundation helps program participants with individually tailored training plans, courses and job search. In addition to the transfer of everyday skills (computer literacy, internet use) those involved can also learn communication and conflict management skills. The training courses will be held with the help of volunteers, among them psychologists, mental hygiene experts, financial and employment consultants, and lawyers.

The program to be launched with the help of the funds collected by the Menhely Foundation through the Donation Line displays several similarities with other programs in Western Europe operating with convincing results that motivate the Foundation to implement its own program. More details about the Menhely Foundation and its activities are available at http://menhely.hu.

From September 2012 the hello holnap! Donation Line can be called, in addition to the 1788 number also at 13688; later, effective of January 1, 2013, it can be called exclusively at 13688. Both numbers can be reached through Magyar Telekom’s wire line and mobile telephone networks. Both the call and sending a text message cost HUF 100, which is VAT-free (except for calls initiated with Domino top up cards).The fee for all calls received in September and October 2012 will go as the callers’ donation to the Menhely Foundation.