New refrigerators to feed the hungry
Food, home, chance! – the Emmaus-Oselya Community’s goals echo Hungarian Interchurch Aid’s motto. Standing firmly against social indifference, the community’s social centre with its complex portfolio of assistance works tirelessly to guide the homeless people in their care back into society. One of the most important helping activities has now become a bit easier to perform: with the support of Hungarian Interchurch Aid and Christian Aid, Emmaus-Oselya was able to buy new refrigerators and kitchen appliances for their soup kitchen serving the homeless people of Lviv.
They are part of the international Emmaus movement, known for its remarkable methodology of reintegration and rehabilitation of homeless people -the only Ukrainian organization participating in this global initiative. Working independently, the centre relies on the generosity of those who donate through social containers. “We live off of what people drop: clothes, shoes, furniture, books, toys, and rarely old electronics,” explains Olena, the administrator of the homeless support centre. Donated items are carefully sorted, washed, categorized for future residents or offered in the free charity shop, which is available to anyone in need.
The kitchen is run by two chefs: Valentyn and Myron, who have been living here for over 2 years. It’s their task to prepare food for all the community. “We cook every day for those who live in the rehabilitation centre and social support centre, so it’s never boring,” Valentyn smiles, inviting us to look at today’s hearty offering – a steaming pot of pea soup. Their weekly soup kitchen also prepares and hands out. more than 200 litres of hot food in the centre of Lviv for people in need.
Thanks to donations from caring people, they had some old refrigerators where they have kept their ingredients. However, these refrigerators started breaking down regularly, and the food stored inside went bad. Looking for help in purchasing refrigerators and shelving to preserve valuable supplies, they found Hungarian Interchurch Aid’s SCLR programme, applied and received the grant they have asked for. Thanks to this support, they were able to purchase new refrigerators, ensuring continuity of service for the hungry. Now I can sleep peacefully,” Myron says, relieved of the nightly check of refrigerators.
The centre’s system is designed not only to facilitate rehabilitation of the people they serve, but also to provide opportunities for their vocational training and skills development. Participants are not passive spectators: they are actively involved in restoring their physical and mental health, and work hard for the benefit of their fellow residents and society as a whole.
One place where they can develop their skills is Oselya’s furniture repair and restoration workshop, which has employed many of their beneficiaries. Since they have shown high quality work in furniture restoration, the business even started cooperation with local entrepreneurs. Not only do they provide work and training: they also create value in a sustainable manner and raise awareness for recycling and the conscious consumption of the world’s resources!
At first glance, a few refrigerators, shelves and kitchen appliances seem to be insignificant in the vast ocean of humanitarian support for Ukraine. Nevertheless, at Emmaus-Oselya’s support centre they’ve become indispensable – without them, the soup kitchen could not be serving the poorest of the poor in the war-torn country.
