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Following the election of a new board for Caritas Arendal, which took place from April 13 to April 27, 2025, a constituting meeting was held on Tuesday, May 20. The new board was formally established and now consists of the following members: Permanent representatives:– Sylwia Prusinska-Sliwa– Hans Petter Asser– Ingrid Fløistad– Catherine Ann Dahlen– Hans Christian Lunde Deputy representatives:– Divina M. Halvorsen– Kurt Moritz Homme At the constituting meeting, Hans Petter Asser was elected Chair of the Board, and Ingrid Fløistad was elected Deputy Chair. We would like to thank the previous board for their dedication and look forward to a new chapter marked by commitment and the continued development of our work.

On Sunday, April 27, the annual meeting of Caritas Arendal was held during the church coffee at St. Franciskus School. Before the meeting, St. Franciskus Parish, in cooperation with Caritas Arendal, presented this year’s Volunteer Award. This year’s award went to Karen Folgen, who for many years has generously given of her time and energy to help countless people – always with a smile and a big heart. She has helped transport people to and from church, served on the parish finance council and the election committee, and has been a board member of Caritas Arendal. She has also served as a lector and church greeter, contributed to language training for immigrants, and been a regular presence at the Norwegian language café. Karen was also involved in the parish’s former food and wine club and played an important role in the art exhibition that raised funds for the church expansion. She published the cookbook Gjestebud to support the parish, and has organized the sale of cheeses from Munkeby Abbey, art prints, and mugs – all to benefit the church. In addition, Karen has been part of a Laudato Si’ project on Tromøy. She continues to be active both in the parish and in other community efforts – always bringing positive energy and dedication. Caritas Arendal and St. Franciskus Parish sincerely thank Karen for everything she contributes – and congratulate her on a well-deserved Volunteer Award!

With support from Med Hjerte for Arendal, Caritas Arendal has taken the initiative to bring together aid organizations, the municipality, and other actors in Arendal working with the same target group. This meeting marked the beginning of a working group aimed at strengthening collaboration, with a particular focus on helping more people enter the workforce. Read more about Caritas Arendal’s work and the launch of the working group in Med Hjerte for Arendal’s monthly newsletter.

Are you looking for a job in Arendal or Agder? Sign up for the free Job Start Course at Welcome Hub Agder! The course will be held in English and includes four days of seminars led by experts in their fields starting the 4th of march 2025. Caritas will be there to hold a workshop on writing CVs and cover letters. You can find more information on facebook.You can sign up here. The Job Start Course is an initiative by Welcome Hub Agder.

The autumn senior party was a great success! On November 16th, 43 seniors and their spouses gathered for the event. There was a fantastic atmosphere with tapas and dancing while Laila Hansen played country music.

Join us for language cafe! Every Wednesday we gather from 14:15- 15:15 at Arendal Voksenopplæring for converation and a cup of coffee. Language cafe is free and open for everyone, also for those who are not student at Voksenopplæring. Do you want to join, or do you want to volunteer? Contact Joris Neyens at [email protected]. Language cafe is an initiative started by students of Arendal Voksenopplæring and supported by second hand store Gjenbruksglede.

Wednesdag the 4th of december vi marked the christmas season with a long table filled with good conversations and great food. A big thanks to Arendal Voksenopplæring for this great cooperation and Gjenbruksgleden for their support that makes language cafe possible. A specially big thanks to our volunteers who are there every week to help other improving their Norwegian language skills. Language cafe is for immigrants in Arendal and surroundings. We meet every wednesday from 14.15- 15.15 at Arendal Voksenopplæring.

Caritas organizes and is a part of multiple events during Arendalsuka. Caritas wants to put focus on important topics like inclusion, development politicsCaritas retter søkelyset mot temaer som inkludering, development policy and peace and reconciliation. Tuesday 13 August 10:00- 11:00 (Smashed Arendal)Sivilsamfunn + det offentlige = santMore information Tuesday 13 August 14:30- 16:30 (Bankgården, 3. etasje)The Activist – The GameMore information Wednesdag 14 August 15:00- 15:45 (Høyer bokhandel)Norske utviklingsministre om de siste 25 års utviklingspolitikk og veien videreMore information Wednesdag 14 August 16:30- 17:30 (Bankgården)Veier til fred og forsoning i Israel/ PalestinaMore information Caritas is apart of more events. Among others “Den store utviklingsdebatten 2024”, which is an annual collaboration between aid organizations in Norway. More information can be found here: https://www.arendalsuka.no/programsok/?q=caritas&d=&dt=&c=&s=&l=&p=&m_hp=y&sort=

Tuesday the 12th of june we had our last language cafe before the summer at AVO (Arendal Voksenopplæring). We celebrated with ice cream and a Kahoot. Caritas Arendal would like to thank AVO for the great collaboration and a special thanks to all the volunteers who make language cafe such a good and open place to be for everyone. Since march 2023 students at AVO and others who want to improve their Nowegian speaking and listening skills have met to practice with the help of Nowegian speaking volunteers. They meet every Tuesday afternoon from 14:15 to 15:15. This language cafe is an initiative from one of AVO`s students. Students have volunteered with practical help and recruitment of participants and volunteers. The project is financed by Gjenbruksglede and IMDi funds from Arendal municipality.