Since the first days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Caritas Stryi Eparchy has been helping people affected by the war. During 2022, more than 12,000 people became our beneficiaries.
“After the full-scale invasion, the work of Caritas Stryi Eparchy gained tremendous momentum and insane speed. Our forces were quite modest, and there were a lot of people who needed help. It is this desire to serve the needy as best as possible that has become a powerful driving force for our work. For us, the words “I can’t” or “I won’t succeed” did not exist, even if each working day lasted more than 15 hours. Every day was a day of great and persistent work, and the Lord generously blessed this work. Over the year, our team has grown more than seven times – from seven to more than fifty employees. We continue to work, serve and grow” – Director of Caritas Stryi Eparchy Fr. Volodymyr Mamchyn.
Every day, Caritas Stryi Eparchy works to ensure the basic needs of IDPs who are in Stryi and in the cities and villages of the Stryi Diocese. In 2022, thousands of people in need turned to Caritas to receive humanitarian aid, shelter or psychological support. Summary of the first year of a full-scale invasion in numbers:
The service that we performed and are performing in helping internally displaced persons is difficult to measure in numbers. Because it is about things that cannot be measured: about care, despair, difficult decisions and stories, tears. It is about love and the boundless strength and indomitability of every Ukrainian.
Crisis center
Internally displaced persons and local people from vulnerable categories can contact the Crisis Center in Stryi and receive comprehensive assistance. We have a crisis manager and case managers who study each person’s situation in detail and look for ways to help in the best possible way. You can apply, in particular, with the following requests: the need for humanitarian aid (food, clothing, shoes, hygiene products), temporary or permanent housing, registration or renewal of documents, employment, medical examination or treatment, etc.
At the Crisis Center, beneficiaries can receive free legal advice by addressing various types of requests: social security, housing and communal services, family issues, travel abroad, etc.
An important area of work today is psychological support. Child and adult psychologists work in Caritas Stryi Eparchy, who provide both individual and group consultations. In addition, we conduct various events – trainings, film screenings, psychological support groups.
«A child-friendly space»
War is a tragedy. People who lose their homes are under a lot of stress. They are going through severe upheavals, their lives are being reshaped and radically changed before their eyes. Children especially suffer from such changes. War and forced displacement steal their childhood, a time that should be joyful and carefree. That is why our activity is aimed at returning at least a little of the joy and carelessness of their childhood to the most vulnerable – children.
“Child-friendly space” operates in Stryi for children from the age of 3, from the number of internally displaced persons and locals from vulnerable categories. Social teachers and animators work with children here. Activities take place every day except Sunday. We hold workshops, parties, study English and help with homework for our little beneficiaries. In addition, there is a child psychologist who conducts individual and group meetings to help children better understand themselves and others and develop necessary skills, such as teamwork and critical thinking.
The team of “Children-Friendly Space” often makes trips to cities and villages of the entire Stryi Diocese, organizing interesting leisure activities there as well.
A “Child-friendly space” is a place where internally displaced children can feel safe, loved, and partially regain the carelessness inherent in childhood. Actually, it is precisely to serve such goals that we implement its activities.
One of the events designed to create bright childhood memories was the Holiday of Childhood under the open sky. Together with other local charitable foundations, we organized a holiday for more than 150 local children and IDPs for Children’s Day. On the holiday of the children of the participants, there will be a bubble show, buns, quests, relay races and a wide variety of other favorite children’s entertainment.
“One day, children will remember that despite the war, they also had happy moments and warm memories. That’s what we work for,” – Kateryna Liashok, coordinator of “Child-Friendly Space”.
SKALA FOOTBALL CAMP
In the summer of 2022, in Morshyn, in cooperation with FC Skala, we held 4 sports and health camps for children affected by the war. In total, 104 children aged 7 to 15 years old, who came to Lviv region from Mariupol, Kharkiv, Avdiivka, Kherson, Volnovakha and other cities of Ukraine, took part in the camp.
The program of the camp was very rich and diverse – football training, classes with psychologists, an animation program, recreation at the lake, excursions, trips to the cinema. It was adapted so that physical activity was comfortable for each participant. Sports helped children to free themselves from negative emotions, which are now abundant.
The camp also became a meeting place. Dmytro, Mykyta and Ruslan met here – three friends from Kharkiv who, with the beginning of a full-scale invasion, were forced to move to safer places with their families, so they did not see each other for almost 5 months.
Shelter “Iskra Liubovi” in Peremozhne
From June 1, 2022 in the village The social center for “Iskra Liubovi” for IDPs is successfully operating. During this time, more than 180 people found shelter here. Now families from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Odesa regions, as well as Crimean Tatars continue to live there.
The mission of the social center is to provide shelter to internally displaced persons, help them adapt to new conditions and challenges caused by the war, and provide psychological support. “Iskra Liubovi” is a comfortable and safe space for IDPs who have found refuge in the west of Ukraine. We support people living in shelters by periodically providing humanitarian aid, case managers, lawyers, psychologists and crisis counsellors.
Currently, 21 children live in “Iskra Liubovi”, the youngest is a year and a month old, and the oldest recently turned 18. In order to give children positive emotions, the team of “Children-Friendly Space” comes to Peremozhne, spending interesting and fun leisure time.
By implementing the “Helping Saint Nicholas” charity event, it was possible to prepare gift packages for IDP children living in the shelter. Over the course of a month, fundraising took place in cooperation with the chain of coffee shops “Kava vid Stryika”, as a result of which 30,000 UAH were collected. This is a holiday and emotions, we are sure, children will remember for a long time!