How One Ukrainian Caritas Found a Way to Help their Soup Kitchen

23.09.2011
Recently the annual School Book Bag Event ended in Striy, which is located in the L’viv region. Thirty two children (among them clients of the Striy, Zhulyns’ky, and Yosypovychivs’kyy orphanages, and children from crisis, disadvantaged, and multi-child families) from the Striy district received school book bags and school supplies for the new school year.

The service held before the distribution of book bags was led by Fr. Volodymyr Zhadan, Chaplin of the Striy eparchy’s St Josaphat Priest Martyr Chapel. He was assisted by Fr. Vasyl Hushuvatyy, Director of the Local Caritas and Fr. Yuriy Oliynyk, the eparchy’s Secretary-Archivist.

At the end of the prayer service the attendees gathered on the lawn where the schoolbookbags were distributed. The smiles and joy expressed by the children showed how grateful they were to everyone who played a role in making this small but important event possible.

As part of the School Book Bag event, clergy joined the Regional People’s Deputy who was one of the biggest patrons of the event. Together they visited the Centre for Recreation and Social Adaptation for Individuals with Special Needs which the Striy Caritas operates.

The Centre’s clients, together with Oksana Il’kiv, the Centre’s Coordinator welcomed the visitors, explained the Centre’s activities, and exhibited the fruits of their labours.

“Today society desperately needs to change how it perceives mentally challenged individuals and its attitude towards those who are in crisis—disadvantaged children and the mentally challenged. After all, we are all responsible for their living situations, difficulties, and socialization. Only in unified spirit can we build and develop a strong, constructive and humane civil society and state!” noted one of the sponsors of the local Caritas after this year’s School Book Bag event.