Serving neighbor as Christ Himself - Center of Social Services blessed in Dnipropetrovsk

Today in Dnipropetrovsk the first non-state Ukrainian Unified Social Services Centre founded by Caritas Ukraine was opened. The center’s premises were blessed by Head of the UGCC, Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk). The premises will host 12 separate projects, whose purpose is to help needy residents of the area, regardless of their confessional or religious affiliation.

Today in Dnipropetrovsk the first non-state Ukrainian Unified Social Services Centre founded by Caritas Ukraine was opened. The center’s premises were blessed by Head of the UGCC, Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk). The premises will host 12 separate projects, whose purpose is to help needy residents of the area, regardless of their confessional or religious affiliation.

According to Caritas, Dnipropetrovsk center is unique to Ukraine on many characteristics. Here more than 13,000 people a year will be able to obtain complex aid. In addition, all social services meet the state standard of Ukraine, and the center was created in line with the best European practices and national experiences. It was financially supported by the government and Caritas of Germany.

At the Center one can consult a psychologist, lawyer, lend medical equipment, join the sports and art clubs for children, adults and seniors, available hairdresser, laundry, visit the soup kitchen, receive humanitarian assistance and more. A family support center will be established to provide social and psychological support and integration of internally displaced families.

Under the current circumstances, a key vector of the Center is to assist internally displaced persons who are now in Dnipropetrovsk are more than 86 thousand. This center will also employ mostly the IDPs. According to Liubov Pantelyuk, director of the Unified Center, former residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions account for 2/3 of the Center experts. In fact, it will act as a project of Caritas Donetsk, the seat of which has been moved to Dnipropetrovsk.

When blessing the premises of the Centre, the patriarch said that the activities of Caritas differ from other similar charities primarily religious context. “We serve people who are in need, as in their person we see the suffering and needy Christ,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav. “For Jesus Christ said to his disciples, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Thus, serving a person who is in need, the Church fulfills its Christian duty. He also has stressed that the Centre will not ask what faith the people in need profess.

“They will glorify God and serve others here. We have got an instrument that should be used correctly,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav.

The Patriarch has also reminded of the collection for Ukraine on the Pope’s appeal, which took place last Sunday in all Catholic dioceses in Europe. The president of the Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” has arrived in Ukraine in order to learn what social services are available in Ukraine.

According to Caritas Ukraine President Andriy Vaskovych, “one of the important tasks of the new center is not only to provide support to people now, but also boost their capability able to return to normal life and gradually become independent of subsidies. In each particular case, we focus not on statistics but on quality solution for an individual.”

Now in Ukraine there are 20 regional organizations of Caritas. The centers of aid to the poor and internally displaced persons are operating in Kharkiv, Odessa, Kyiv, Zaporizhia, Mariupol, Dniprodzerzhinsk, Svyatohirsk, Kramatorsk. The latter, in particular, is working in the so-called gray area. Overall, various types of aid have been provided to some 260 thousand people. The center in Dnipropetrovsk located on the one premises will provide the greatest range of services.

In concelebration with Donetsk Exarch Bishop Stepan (Meniok) and clergymen of the Exarchate, the patriarch blessed the place where the Church of St. Nicholas was to be built. The first parishioners of this church will be the IDPs, Greek Catholics of Donbas, whose amount in Dnipropetrovsk now exceeds 100 people.