On the eve of the winter holidays at the initiative of the Association of Orthodox Youth from Ulmu (AOYU) village, Ialoveni district, in partnership with the Church dedicated to “The Entrance of Our Lady into the Temple”, in the person of the parish priest, Fr. Petru Pisica and the Children’s Day – care Centre, started the charity campaign “Your gift in the name of the Child Jesus”.
Thus, thanks to the active involvement of several donors, food and hygiene products, new clothes and shoes, school supplies, toys and sweets were collected.
On the eve of the feast of the Nativity, the members of the AOYU coordinated by the parish priest distributed the collected gifts. The joy of the Nativity was shared with more than a hundred children of different ages from several localities, and over 70 socially vulnerable families, including more than 50 elderly people. Together they managed to make the lives of the saddest a little better.
Since 2009, the Day care Centre for Children was opened within the parish of The Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple in the village of Ulmu, Ialoveni district, with the aim of providing child protection services and mission to prevent violence in the family and society, abandonment and institutionalization of children by providing daytime care, education, recreation, socialization, counselling and the development of life skills.
Thus, the following activities are carried out for 40 children: English language study, catechism lessons, activities of the chess club, spiritual and psychological counselling, etc. Various meetings and seminars are held in the Centre, and a variety of topics are addressed with the involvement of actors from different fields of activity.
During the lessons, the children of the Day care Centre are provided with a hot meal and several tea breaks. Throughout the school year, children receive free school supplies necessary for the educational process.
The Day care Centre also organises excursions and summer camps for the children and young people involved in the activities.
In partnership with educational institutions and other local public facilities, trainings, round tables, seminars are held, where different topics and discussions are addressed that can prevent or stop some risks in society.
Similarly, in Ulmu parish, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, the social bakery “The Multiplication of Bread” was opened in 2018. Thus it was possible, that around 42 families, or more than 100 people receive daily free of charge, and with home delivery: bread, pies and other pastries, and once a week 100 loaves of bread are distributed to homeless and needy people in Chisinau.
At the same time, for about 10 years there has been a volunteer team of 5 people. The aim of this team is to visit sick, elderly and lonely people at home. The volunteers monitor potential risk situations in such families and report their difficulties to the priest parish . And the latter, as far as possible, tries to solve them.
Thus, 5-6 times a year, these families receive material aid in the form of food parcels, sanitary facilities, clothes and bedding. Bedridden patients are provided with nappies and some medicines as far as possible. Lonely and sick people are provided with hot lunches prepared in the Church canteen or in the homes of volunteers, as well as bread, fruit, sweets and other products brought in by parishioners.
In partnership with friends of the parish in Germany and the Netherlands, hundreds of boxes of clothes and linen are brought in 4-5 times a year and distributed to the needy.
Each volunteer, as far as possible, helps the families concerned with household work, paying for utility services, commuting to medical institutions, etc.
At the same time, we would like to mention that in 2011 the Church dedicated to “The Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple” managed to open a small hostel for the elderly, which is able to provide shelter, food and care to 10 beneficiaries.
Synodal Sector for Social Activity and Charity