Russia (bbabo.net), - On the eve of the Christian feast of the Epiphany, with the blessing of Metropolitan Lazarus of Simferopol and Crimea, the first humanitarian aid center "Catherine" in Crimea was opened in Simferopol at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr. In it, poor, large families, single parents and other people in need will be able to receive humanitarian and psychological assistance, as well as legal advice.
The project for the creation of the center, prepared by the Simferopol and Crimean diocese, became one of the hundred winners of the international open grant competition "Orthodox Initiative-2021". According to the rector of the St. Catherine's Church, Priest Dionisy Volkov, for the first time the diocese received a grant in the amount of one million rubles.
“In addition to him, we attracted more financial resources to build a separate building for the center on the territory of the temple and subsequently equip it,” the priest said. - The construction of the center, which started last summer, took five months. For the Simferopol and Crimean diocese, this is the first such center. Here we will provide people with help and support in various needs: things (clothes and accessories) and products. In our center, we connect those who have the desire and ability to help with those who need help. In the future, we plan to organize on its basis the transfer for temporary use of various equipment necessary for raising young children - for example, baby strollers: so that people can take a stroller, use it and pass it on to others who will also need it by that time. We treat every person with respect, regardless of their social status and position. All things - clean, processed, neatly hung.
Father Dionysius agrees that inside the Ekaterininsky center looks like a clothing store.
- Only without money, - he smiles and half-jokingly adds: - Socialism!
The priest says that the idea of creating the center came after the opening of the crisis center "House for Mom" under the diocese, the latter's volunteers began to travel to the regions of the republic to provide humanitarian assistance (providing hygiene products, baby food, etc.).
“We opened the crisis center in 2019,” Father Dionysius recalls. - In it, we help women who find themselves in difficult life situations. There they live free of charge, receive psychological and social assistance, undergo resocialization. Someone with children in their arms found themselves without a roof over their heads, someone has problems with relatives, some women, being pregnant, intended to have an abortion because of living conditions. For more than two years - last autumn we celebrated the second anniversary - more than 30 people have lived in the center. In addition to housing assistance, many mothers call for humanitarian, legal, and social assistance.
According to the observations of the priest, in the Crimean hinterland, far from the big cities of the republic, there are many people who live below the poverty line.
- Applications from them continue to arrive, and our task is to draw the attention of people who are ready to help them, - he explains. Because people don't need much. We give away things that we no longer need, we no longer wear them, but for those in need, this is salvation. I must say that completely different people find themselves in a difficult life situation, including those who were quite prosperous yesterday. So, recently an intelligent woman asked for help. She and her husband moved to the Crimea, and here her husband made good money. But he suddenly died, she fell ill with covid and ended up in the hospital. And when she returned home, it turned out that she was left with nothing: her adopted 16-year-old son robbed her. But it's easy for us to lend a helping hand.
The transferred things, as well as their recipients, the center's coordinator Ekaterina Dyadichko will record in a special register. This, Father Dionysius is sure, will help to avoid handing over clothes to speculators.
“Everything is built on trust, especially since people in need are immediately visible: both what is in their eyes and in their hearts,” says the priest. - We will also deliver things to the districts. Now we need volunteers for full-fledged operational well-coordinated work. Things need to be accepted, sorted out, processed, hung. Therefore, we invite everyone who wants to serve a good cause and help their neighbor in fairly comfortable conditions. In addition, we call on entrepreneurs who sell food to donate perishable products to us: the center has special refrigerators for storing them.
Ekaterina Dyadichko, coordinator of the center, said that the preparation of "Ekaterininsky" for the opening took three months. During this time, equipment was purchased and things were processed and hung.- Most of all we now have women's and children's things, - she says. - Very little outerwear, which is now the most necessary. Several times children brought things of prematurely deceased parents. I remember the leather jacket and unworn sweaters of a dead man. We ask donors to bring items in good condition so that they are at least ironed.
Help
The Ekaterininsky Humanitarian Aid Center is located on the territory of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine in Simferopol at the address: 16/98, 60 Let Oktyabrya Street. Opening hours - from 10.00 to 14.00 (on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). At the same time, you can leave things for the center in the "Church Shop", which is open on the temple grounds daily from 9.00 to 18.00.
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