Caritas Kyiv provided assistance to 12 geriatric centers

25.08.2014, Ukraine
Caritas Kyiv rendered aid to hundreds of seniors who are staying in geriatric centers in different regions of Ukraine. This assistance became possible in cooperation with “Kyivstar” company and Ukrainian Philanthropic Marketplace.

Help and support of the elderly is a priority of Caritas Kyiv activity. For more than 10 years local Caritas workers have been rendering assistance to lonely seniors, physically challenged persons, seriously ill individuals and people who live with HIV/AIDS. Nowadays nearly 100 of such people receive constant help from Caritas Kyiv in form of medicines, hygiene kits, food packages, psychological assistance, help with housekeeping, services of nurses, legal counseling etc.

Apart from this, Caritas Kyiv to the best of own abilities and beneficence of philanthropists provides help to other seniors, rest homes, veterans of war and persons with disabilities – and it also became possible this time.

Project of assistance to geriatric centers was implemented with full financial support of “Kyivstar” national operator of mobile communications. Company provided targeted material charitable assistance that amounts to 105 thousand UAH to secure needs of elderly people in 12 geriatric centers of Ukraine. Format of help depended on needs of centers’ dwellers: there were bedclothes and towels, rehabilitation and medical equipment, household appliances, construction materials, shoes, etc.

12 geriatric centers in different parts of Ukraine received assistance:
• Khmelnytskiy local territorial center of social service (Khmelnytskiy);
• Lviv geriatric rest home (Lviv);
• Chernivtsi geriatric rest home (Chernivtsi);
• Municipal institution of Ternopil oblast council “Petrykivskiy oblast geriatric residential care home”  (Ternopil);
• Rivne geriatric rest home (Rivne);
• Chernihiv geriatric center (Chernihiv);
• Odesa oblast hospital for disabled war veterans (Odesa);
• Borodyanka residential care home for the elderly and the disabled (village of city type Borodyanka, Kyiv oblast);
• Municipal enterprise “Dnipropetrovsk geriatric rest home” (Dnipropetrovsk);
• Gorbanevskiy geriatric rest home for war and labor veterans (Poltava);
• Luhansk rest home for war and labor veterans (Luhansk);
• Kharkiv geriatric Center (Kharkiv).

Moreover, “Kyivstar” employees-volunteers visited rest homes where elderly people live. These trips were aimed at getting acquainted and finding out more about needs of seniors, and also getting involved in various work that elderly people are not able to do on their own.

“Word ‘care’ is associated for me with mother’s care of a child, assistance of neighbor or simply friend’s advice. It is something kindered, pleasant and significant. However, it is important to emphasize that we have to be grateful for care to our grandmothers and grandfathers. They brought up our parents and took care of us more than of themselves. Nevertheless, there is a great number of such people who are lonely, don’t get enough attention and care, are rejected by the society, considered a burden for the country.

We – as a part of “Kyivstar” team – directed our efforts and money at help to such people, for them to feel wanted and important. We are 100% satisfied with the result of cooperation with Caritas!” Anya, one of the coordinators of “Kyivstar” workers trips to geriatric centers, shares her impressions.