Proyecto Hombre La Rioja on 16 October 2026 at the Centro de Día in Logroño presented the findings of a Study on the value of volunteering and also launched the next phase of the Club de las Segundas Oportunidades . The organisation highlights a current need for volunteers to accompany users in their daily lives and provide a night-time presence at the Comunidad Terapéutica. These tasks complement professional care but do not replace it.
Director José Ignacio Macías said at the presentation that volunteering had been part of the organisation’s identity since its beginnings. Volunteers help maintain continuity in daily routines, provide support outside clinical settings and promote social inclusion during recovery from addiction. The volunteer programme manager, María Virto, highlighted the variety of roles: accompanying people to appointments, supporting leisure activities and workshops, and providing a reliable presence in residential areas at night.
The study on the value of volunteering, presented today, systematically records for the first time the perspectives of volunteers, users and the professional team. According to the organisation, the findings confirm that ongoing relationships with volunteers can strengthen motivation and adherence to treatment. At the same time, Proyecto Hombre La Rioja emphasises the limits: volunteers need preparation, training and professional support, and they do not make therapeutic decisions.
The Club de las Segundas Oportunidades was launched in 2021 to bring together civic engagement and donations for addiction prevention and treatment in La Rioja. The new phase is aimed at adults who are interested, can commit their time reliably and are willing to take on defined shifts after internal training. According to the organisation, the current priority is night-time attendants and companions, as continuity and predictability are particularly important in these roles.
Proyecto Hombre La Rioja has been operating since 1989, using a combined model of professional staff and volunteer support. In practice, the professional team is responsible for assessment and treatment, while volunteers provide accessible, practical support to help people maintain stability in everyday life. The organisation believes that additional volunteers can ease pressure on day-to-day operations in the short term and support reintegration in the longer term, for example by helping people reconnect with family and work contexts.
Statements on needs and procedures are based on today’s press presentation in Logroño. Background information on programmes and areas of work is based on publicly available material from the organisation.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).