Zhyva Perla is a family-type foster home with a smaller number of children (30 - 36). 200 to 300 children usually live in state foster homes. Not being a state foster home, they need to find finances for the operation of the foster home by themselves.

Goal of the foster home

The approach to each child is individual, as each comes from a different environment. Some of the boys come to the foster home with speech and behaviour disorders or disparities in education because of inadequate living conditions. As they grow up, they learn to take on greater responsibilities and take part in everyday life. Thanks to your support, the boys can live in a secure environment full of care and a family atmosphere, which many never felt before. Thus, they can prepare for adulthood and lead independent and fulfilling lives in the future.

 

Ruslan Markiv, Director

My name is Ruslan Markiv, and since 2004 I have been working as a director of the foster home Zhyva Perla in Bortnyky. In 2000, I became a part of a Christian community 'Miles Jesu' in Ukraine. I spent the first four years on various missions in Ukraine, Russia, and England.

The centre helps children and the young from troubled families, impoverished children, orphans, families in an adverse social situation or a crisis, the ill, elderly, handicapped, and people relocated from areas affected by war conflicts.

Goals and activities of the centre

The main goal of the workers of the social centre is to provide a safe environment for the children and work with their families. They help the young and children with learning or behaviour problems with education, adaptation, and social integration. The centre also operates a social canteen for the elderly, the poor, people living in an adverse social situation, and children, who often don't have fundamental nutrition at home. Educational and social workers help children with homework and school preparation. Children from adverse social situations and critical families have found a professional and humane atmosphere they often miss in their own families.

 

Hrystyna Kucheruk, Coordinator

My name is Hrystyna Kucheruk, I am the head of Caritas Kolomyia children's centers. I have been working at Caritas for more than 14 years, this project is not new to me, I have always been involved in its work. I live and work in the city of Kolomyia. I love my work and get great satisfaction from what I do. I dream of peace and happy children!

The mission of the academy is to provide studies and personal development for seminarians who are preparing for their priesthood. Given the challenging social and economic situation of ordinary families and parishes in Ukraine, we have also included the support of the education of these university students (seminarians) in our project.

Goals and activities of the seminary

Due to the separation of church and state in Ukraine, it is difficult for the seminar to secure funds for its operation and provide the seminarians with quality education. The seminar also accepts students who can't pay their school fees and seeks resources and donors to help cover the costs. Seminarians partake in various charitable and philanthropic activities, assist with pastoral care in hospitals, visit the sick, elderly, and lonely people. The seminarians organise catecheses for children and teenagers, summer camps, and competitions. They bring human and spiritual support to disabled people and assist with their integration into society.

 

Petro Pavlo Beresh, rector

My name is Petro Pavol Beresh, and I am the rector of Theodore Romža Theological Academy in Uzhgorod. We appreciate the support of Children's Donation Project® as every donation brings us a step closer towards our goal - a full-fledged education of seminarians.

Parents of many seminarians aren't able to support their son's education due to the lack of a stable job. The unemployment rate is high in Ukraine, and it's problematic for people to find a job. Students then can't pay for their tuition. Tuition fees that secure the operation of the seminar are in place because of the separation of church and state in Ukraine.

Goals and activities of the seminary

Seminarians dedicate their free time to lonely people and people in need. They uplift the sick in hospitals and visit the lonely and elderly. They prepare various pastoral, formative, educational, and free-time activities for children and young people. They provide spiritual and human support to people in need and carry out physically challenging works, which are difficult for the sick or the elderly.

 

Ivan Sichkaryk, Prefect

My name is Ivan Sichkaryk. I'm the head of the Ternopil Archeparchial Major Spiritual Seminary of Josyf Slipyj. Words can't express how much has the Children's Donation Project® helped us. Thanks to our donors, young men receive a well-rounded education, prepare for their priesthood and fulfill their mission. After finishing their formation, they serve in various parishes in areas of eastern Ukraine.

Caritas Ternopil was founded in December 1994. Since then, it has been helping children and the elderly living in difficult situations.

Goals and activities of the centre

Our goal is to help people who are, for various reasons, marginalised. The first project we pursued was to set up a social canteen. People in need, children, and the elderly can attend it daily. We have been a part of the Children's Donation Project® since 2018. Thanks to the project, we can expand our help to children from poor and multi children families, orphans, and half-orphans. We provide school supplies, medicine, health care, and food to the children. We also offer a safe space for tutoring, homework, and leisure.

 

Sofiia Sverstiuk, Coordinator

My name is Sofiia, I live in Ternopil and I am the coordinator and head of the Children´s Donation Project at Caritas Ternopil. I started working here as a volunteer, animator and also a social worker for children. I love children and I can easily find a common language with them. My strengths are precision, conscientiousness and constant development. I´m looking forward to our cooperation with Children´s Donation Project in the future a lot.

St. Martin Caritas was founded in 1999. They carry out various social and supportive activities for families in need, the sick, the elderly, and pastorate the Roma people.

Goals and acivities of the centre

Activities of the centre include wok concerning children who live in challenging socio-economic conditions in Uzhgorod and Mukacheve. Caritas employees help the children with education as many come from areas with low literacy. Activities are similar to an after-school club. Children can do their homework, practice writing, counting and partake in leisure activities in a safe environment.

 

Katarína Pajerská, Coordinator

My name is Katarína Pajerská, and I come from Senec, Slovakia. I have graduated from medical school. In 2007, I've been given the opportunity to go to Mukacheve, Ukraine, to work as a governess in a catholic boarding school. I was initially going for three years, but I've been working here since then. I focus on working with children and adults in Roma communities. Activities concern support the education of children and adults, improvement of health situation and catechism lessons. Children often come to school hungry. The charity is trying to provide material help as well, as it is within our power. We are very thankful for the support from Slovakia as there are more than 500 children in great need in our surroundings.

The Holy Spirit Seminar in Lviv has been educating and preparing young men for spiritual service for 235 years. More than 200 students from different eparchies (dioceses) of Ukraine and from abroad currently study in our seminary. The Church in Ukraine is abundant in vocations but weak in finance. Therefore, we must turn to donors for help with the education of future priests.

Goals and activities of the centre

The education of seminarians and priestly formation is a seven-year process. It includes several specialised courses, permanent spiritual formation, and one year of pastoral practice. During formation and study, seminarians acquire not only intellectual knowledge but also the ability to apply it in real life. Seminarians gain practical experience in catechesis, which they implement in schools. They attend youth Christian meetings where they prepare various activities. They develop relationships with foster homes, hospitals, people with special needs, the elderly and carry out pastoral activities for all ages.

 

Volodymyr Krushenytskyy, Chancelor

My name is Volodymyr Krushenytskyy. I am a priest and have been working in the Holy Spirit Seminary for 18 years. Previously, I also worked in the organisation committee responsible for the preparation of the arrival of the Holy Father, John Paul II, to Ukraine in 2001. I have pastoral experience from working in parishes, where I carried out a priestly mission for 12 years. This whole period is a unique experience for me, where I can perceive the growth and development of clerical professions.

Caritas Donetsk was founded in 2003. In 2015 staff of Caritas Donetsk fled to Dnipro, due to the tragic events which happened in Eastern Ukraine. And now they help needy people from around Dnipro.

Goals and activities of the centre

Caritas Donetsk operates an assistance center, where they provide various social services to deprived groups. The center dispenses soup for people in need, laundry, and various forms of material assistance. Medical, psychological, and legal counseling is also provided for residents in difficult life situations. In addition, the center’s staff is involved in many activities for children. They create a safe environment and space for needy children for education, tutoring, prepare workshops and extra curriculum activities for them. The center also carries out activities for children with various disabilities with an emphasis on improving their communication skills and emotional state. They also bring together children's parents and help them integrate into society so that they do not feel on the margins.

 

Svitlana Shukh, Coordinator

My name is Svitlana Shukh, and I am 40 years old. I have been part of the Caritas Donetsk staff for 20 years. I am an internally displaced person from Donetsk. Together with my family and Caritas Donetsk, we were forced to leave our home in 2015. Now, we live in the Dnieper. Through Charity, we help the needy and other people who have had to leave everything, their homes for fighting in the area I like my job and the people I meet every day. I am engaged in activities for children and young people. This job fills me because young people are open to changing their lives for the better.

Charitable Foundation Caritas Odesa was founded in 2005. Our work at Caritas Odesa is focused on four main areas: 1. Health care 2. Help provided to children, youth, and families in crisis 3. Solving social issues 4. Mitigation of consequences for internally displaced people

Goals and activities of the centre

Since 2008, our Caritas helps children from needy families. We are providing social, psychological, educational, and financial help to HIV-positive children. In 2015 we started to work with internally displaced children and prepared various activities for them. We tried to help children adapt to a new environment since lots of internally displaced persons came to Odesa in 2015-2016. In 2017 we have opened the “Center for children and crisis families” which still runs today. By visiting the center, children can get psychological, pedagogical, and social help. But the main aim of the center is for children to prepare children for their adulthood. Moreover, we also work with parents. They get psychological help and attend different pieces of training that help them to improve relationships with their children.

 

Victoria Proskurnia, Coordinator

My name is Victoria Proskurnia, I have been working at Caritas Odessa since 2015. I have a pedagogical education and working with children really fulfills me. Due to the war in eastern Ukraine in 2014, I moved to Odessa with my young children, so I understand very well how important it is to provide timely support to families. I like to make children happier. In principle, this is exactly what we do at our center - we try to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and their families in a crisis situation by providing material assistance and supporting their development.

The religious organization "Caritas-Spes Lutsk" was founded in October 2020. The slogan of our organization is "Love, what inspire". After all, good deeds are done with love and spread more goodness and love into the world.

Goals and activities of the centre

The main goal of our organization is to gradually change the world for the better, support those in need and help those who have already lost hope for help. Our greatest value is the people we help, especially children. After all, they experience great difficulties in life from an early age, and the task of adults is to protect them from this. During our activity, we have held hundreds of actions and requests, implemented hundreds of projects designed to support people in need. Caritas-Spes Lutsk helps orphans, children with Down syndrome, with various types of disabilities or developmental disorders, we support HIV-infected children and adults, we help local hospitals and lonely elderly people.

fr. can. Pavlo Khomiak, coordinator

My name is Pavlo Khomiak. For many years of working with people, I have seen many problems experienced by those in need. Therefore, in 2020, I initiated the creation of the organization Caritas-Spes Lutsk. Dozens of volunteers joined this initiative, who happily participated. Caritas-Spes Lutsk united volunteers of different ages: from the youngest to the oldest people. That is why I have established in Lutsk a separate network - Caritas Young, where volunteers are children and teenagers who strive to help their neighbors and give their time to help other people. I am convinced that the values that are instilled in children from an early age will find their embodiment in their mature and adult actions.