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The
Programs The Mennonite Family Centre has evolved and become established over time with three primary programs.They are directed by a local Program Coordinator. Since most clients struggle with poverty, the Centre provides all services at no charge. Clients typically are referred by churches or by word of mouth and are assessed as to needs. There is never a question about background or church affiliation.
Services provided varies depending on needs. However, the common needs relate to poverty, loneliness and illness. Most clients are widows, many of whom were in their teens during WW2, and who were affected by the many displacements and abuses of that era, and have lived lives of hardship. Others have a good education and have had careers as teachers or professionals, but when health issues and careers disappeared, poverty resulted and family members, if there were any, left for better opportunities. Since the
average life span of a man is about 58 years, and much lower than for
women, many spouses have passed away, leaving poverty, loneliness, helplessness
and depression. However, it is remarkable how many then turned to their
faith to sustain them and which offered hope for the future. Services provided include comfort care, wound dressing if required, and help with food preparation, house or apartment cleaning, personal hygiene, and mobility. And when a client passes away, the health care provider also helps with funeral arrangements, preparation of the body, etc. Many clients live in apartments all over the city. Care providers are assigned certain numbers of clients and use local transportation to travel within the city. The care providers are women with a range of backgrounds in terms of careers and skills and are women of faith, coming from Baptist, Pentecostal, and Mennonite or Orthodox congregations. The
Respite Program The space is provided at no charge, along with utilities and maintenance by the Centre along with some assistance with salary costs related to this program. Other operating costs and personnel are looked after by the Pentecostal congregation. Many clients can no longer stay by themselves, or have apartments or homes that are inadequate. Some clients stay truly for respite until they return to health, (often a month or two) while others stay for longer periods of time because they have no other place to go. The care provided is comfort care based on having nutritious food, warmth, a good bed to sleep in, social interaction with others, and having a care provider on hand. The
Day Program
There are some clients that attend more than one day a week, and others attend just one day each week so more can participate. They typically arrive about 8:30, have tea and a small breakfast, and then spend the time singing, having bible study, socializing, getting their hair washed or having a bath. A nutritious lunch is served at 12:00. Since many clients have very limited resources, many will eat just a portion of the lunch, and take the rest home with them for another meal. At 3:30 they are returned to their homes. For many
this is such a highlight of their week. This is the only "church"
they are able to attend, and for many, the only social outlet that lets
them talk and visit with others in similar situations. Arrangements are made to make this as meaningful a time for the clients as possible, with Bible Study leadership shared between different Pastors of various congregations however possible. There is also an arrangement to have students of the Technical University of Zaporizhzhya come and interact with the clients as part of their practicum program. Capacity Building There are
several other local initiatives and programs the Centre is supporting.
Clinic
in Morosovka (formerly the village of Hochfeld) Very early on, the need for a small clinic was identified, and the Centre was asked to help. As a response, one room was designated as a clinic. The Mennonite
Family Centre was able to supply some basic equipment and appoint a "Feltscher"
or local Nurse Practitioner to open the clinic one day per week to provide
basic health care for the village. She lives in a neighboring village
and since she also works in emergency care in a Zaporizhzhya hospital,
she is often able to refer clients to a hospital if that is required.
Support
for long term Senior's Care in Katusovka (formerly Petershagen)
As part of the outreach program, a visitation program for seniors was organized by the congregation followed by the recognition that many seniors did not have adequate (or any) care as they got older, and a place was needed for their care. Eventually the Pastor's apartment that had been built into the church building was converted for use as a care facility. There are
currently 9 widows staying here, with care being provided by some members
of this congregation and young people recruited in the area. Leadership
is provided by a volunteer worker coming from Germany. The Mennonite Family
Centre is able to provide some financial support for this initiative to
offset the food and other costs of operating this program. Support
for Children with Special Needs The
Kangaroo Program of the Florence Centre One of the programs of the Florence Centre is the Kangaroo Program, which is a small day care program for children with special needs. The Centre is run on a small budget with just a few professional staff, plus many volunteers, many of whom are students from the faculty of Social Work. Many become acquainted with the Centre in their Practicum studies, and stay on to volunteer. The Mennonite
Family Centre participates in this work by providing funds for the rental
of an apartment which houses the "Kangaroo" program.
"Promethius" Having begun in 2011, they now have two locations. They began accepting children up to 6 years of age and had up to 28 children in the first rented apartment. A second apartment is being rented for children older than 6 years. For the most part, these are children not accepted in the public schools because of their special needs, and children not accepted in society. Mothers are often confined to their homes to provide care in isolation. This also means they cannot provide for the family through holding a job. Through the
professional help they receive by these very dedicated workers at "Promethius"
(many of whom are also volunteers), the children progress and develop
social, communication and living skills. Many who have been non-verbal
begin to interact with others. The hope is many will eventually be accepted
for integration in the public schools. The Mennonite Family Centre is pleased to support this local initiative by providing funds to rent space for the program.
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