Volunteerism is the Backbone of Caritas Manila
Through Volunteerism, Caritas Manila is able to implement its programs efficiently and cost-effectively.
The Institute for Servant Leadership and Stewardship or ISLaS, is the volunteer management and formation program of Caritas Manila. It currently mobilizes around 5000 volunteers in the Archdiocese of Manila and other partner dioceses.
With Jesus as a model of Servant Leadership, parish-based leaders and volunteers undergo continuous training and values formation that mold them to become committed servant leaders of Caritas Manila.
4 Key Components
ISLaS is Caritas Manila’s volunteer management program with four key components: Organization, Teaching, Operations, and Resource Mobilization.
1. Organization
Volunteer Recruitment: Volunteers are recruited annually during Alay Kapwa Sundays across 81 parishes, and through social media nationwide.
Community Partner Clustering: Volunteers identify urban poor families to become Community Family Partners (CFPs), who gain access to Caritas services.
Strategic Partnerships: ISLaS collaborates with local and international organizations to enhance volunteer management and formation.
2. Teaching
Volunteer Formation & Training: Volunteers receive monthly spiritual and leadership formation, along with skills-based training.
Technical Working Core (TWC): A group of formators who develop and refine Caritas formation modules and lead training sessions.
3. Operations
Volunteers are deployed based on their strengths and interests to serve in various Caritas programs at the parish and community levels.
4. Resource Mobilization
Volunteers support fundraising efforts and are required to maintain a Caritas Coin Bank, remitted quarterly. ISLaS tracks and quantifies volunteer hours, assigning them monetary value to evaluate program impact and sustainability.