23.01.14, Kyiv
Lately, Caritas Kyiv organized holy dinner for minor clients. Among them are street children and youth, youngsters from crisis, poverty-stricken and large families, disabled young individuals, and children left without parental care. In general almost 100 individuals were present at holy dinner, informs Director of Caritas Kyiv Fr. Roman Syrotych.
Generous evening started with a story about cycle of Christmas holidays and their meaning, wishes of God’s grace, peace, and love to everybody. Clients of local Caritas recited poems and sang carols.
Afterwards everyone began to taste traditional Ukrainian dishes for Christmas Eve – kutia, pampushki (garlic donuts), varenyky (dumplings), cabbage rolls, borshch (beetroot soup), cabbage, fish and other dishes. Warm family spirit was in the air. It was heart-piercing to observe children, because some of them were on such holy dinner for the first time.
Caritas Kyiv has been working for nearly 20 years with crisis children and youth. Fr. Roman retells: ”The assistance to children foresees favoring of their integration in society. We help hundreds of children and this work includes education, social services and nutrition. We help them to find prospects in their lives, develop positive traits and get a profession. We deliver food, clothes, hygiene means and healthcare products to street children if it is needed. These children and youth also have possibility to wash themselves, use services of hairdresser or seamstress.
We develop our football team with children from crisis families, plan to organize computer class, summer recreation camps and fully support charitable refectory.”
Carollers also visited holy dinner in Caritas Kyiv. The Nativity play was presented by seminarians of Kyiv Theological Seminary of the UGCC with prefect Fr. Vitaliy Hrabatyn. It glorified the holiday and 
brought much joy to the audience – adults and youngsters. At the end of celebration all children received presents, sweet things and books; some youngsters even took dishes from holiday dinner.
With hands full of presents, warmed hearts, smiled faces and words of gratitude they leaved unwillingly Caritas center, where for a few hours they felt joyful and like home.
“On my behalf and on behalf of all children I want to express sheer gratitude to all benefactors that assisted for this dinner to happen. Thanks to this event many children felt wanted and joyful, spent some time in family-like atmosphere.
I invite everybody to charity initiatives. By common efforts we will implement action of good will among poor, ill and needful individuals. If you want to join, you can address me or our foundation by telephone number +38 097-19-45-911 and find out how you can participate in benevolent activities,” finishes his speech Fr. Roman Syrotych.
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