10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MIJAS VOLUNTEERS

[andalucia]

10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MIJAS VOLUNTEERS
13th of April, 2007


10 years ago the Foreigners Department of the Mijas Town Hall set up a vonlunteer interpreter system in their three medical centres to help foreigners that did not speak spanish to understand their doctors. On the 13th of April a celebration will take place at the Mijas Town Hall to thank all the volunteers that take the time and effort to help people.

The volunteers do not just offer a translation service but also inform the foreigners how the medical system works, and many times they also become a pschicological support for the patient.

Thanks to the Foreign Press, who helped launch the idea in the begining, the Mijas Foreigners Department was contacted inicially by 10 persons that wanted to become a volunteer. At present there are 25 volunteers covering aproximately 10 languages. The Department has volunteer interpreter systems set up in Mijas, La Cala and Las Lagunas medical centres, as well as in the Mijas "Guardia Civil" Police station and in the new specialist centre in Las Lagunas C.A.R.E.

The celebration will take place in the Mijas Town Hall in Mijas village and will start at 6PM with a documentary film on the service, after this a gift will be given to all the volunteers by the councilors Mª Carmen Jimenez who is incharge of the Foreigners Department and Mr Francisco Cuevas, who is responsable of asociations and charity groups. A glass of Cava and a birthday cake will close the event.