Annual report 2019

The main activity of Oselya is organization of life and work of the Community of former homeless people. By living and working together companions learn to solve their problems and help other people in need. During 2019 there were 38 companions living in the Community. In Oselya, companions are provided with psychological support, they receive new professional and social skills, participate in cultural events and solidarity actions. Companions can be sent for medical treatment if needed, they receive pocket money and get help with renewing their documents. Newcomers have 3 months social training that include addiction therapy, personal development training and history of Emmaus movement.

In 2019, with the support of the Lviv City Council, we ran the project “Create your Oselya” which aimed to help homeless people recover their lives through community living, occupational therapy, social training and psychological assistance. We conducted a series of training: a course on “Sober Lifestyle Skills”, group psycho-corrective lessons, individual consultations with a psychologist, “Emmaus Ideas: Life and Work in the Community” course, “Personal Development” training, “Second chance for old goods”, “Professional orientation education” and “How to run a household”.

In order to generate funds for everyday needs of the community and solidarity actions, Oselya runs social enterprise.
The main activity of this enterprise is collecting goods which people no longer need, but that can still be used by others (furniture, clothing, household items, toys etc.). We pick up goods in the city with two trucks responding to the citizens’ calls. We also collect goods from containers located near churches and OKKO gas stations. In 2019 with the support of “Concern Halnaftohaz” (OKKO gas stations) we have installed additional 4 containers and by the end of the year we had 27 containers Lviv city. We still have a problem with people who steal and damage our containers. Through the network of containers, we have collected 900 tons of clothing. 131 tons collected are the goods that cannot be reused or recycled (broken toys, torn pursues, torn and dirty clothing, regular trash). That is a lot of trash that we people donate. Lviv city administration helps us to transport this trash to the dumpsters.

The companions and volunteers sort and repair collected goods and sell them in the charity stores or distribute among poor and homeless people. In 2019 we provided 2 939 clothing give-outs to poor people in our charity store. Some were distributed to Lviv city night shelter for homeless people. 1587 persons who use service of Kofoed’s social support center, received clothing during the year whenever they needed.

We dispatch clothing that can’t be reused for recycling.

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Charity shops bring the main income to community and help us fund solidarity actions. In September we had changed location of our store in Vynnyky, we have moved just to the next building.

This year we continued the project called “Shop on the wheels”. We sell collected cloth in the villages not far from Lviv. That helps us to involve more customers and generate more income for social projects.

In 2019 we have held couple of sales in our store in Vynnyky. One of them “Emmaus life style” was in favor of Emmaus International and their solidarity projects.

We also participated in the different sales in the city that follow the idea of reusing used goods, like Zero Waste Fest 2019, Lviv flea Market Tlum&Kram, retro sale. At these vents we have a chance to share information about our work and our values.

This year we continued to run our furniture workshop. Four companions learned to repair furniture and to do upholstery and provided services to customers from Lviv and Vynnyky.

In 2019 we had 17 adults and 4 kids who lived in the social hostel. 12 of those residents are former companions of Oselya. Workshop of good deeds “Emmaus-Oselya” is a charity shop on the first floor of the social hostel. The citizens can bring their goods there and purchase something as well. There is also workshop in the basement where former companion of Oselya runs his business of producing designed backpacks HORONDI.

In 2019 we continued to run Kofoed’s Social Support Center. During the year we provided services to 1587 people, 50-60 people every day. The expenses of the Center were covered by the community income, financial support of Lviv City Administration. Thanks to Charity foundation “Foodbank” we gave out drinking water, clothing and stationery.
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Every Thursday our community cooks meal and distribute it to homeless people in downtown. During the distribution we invite people to Kofoed’s social support center to use service there. In 2019 we did 52 distributions. For the Saint Nickolas holiday we gave out 140 small presents during the food distribution.
In 2019 we organized Christmas and Easter for about 500 homeless and poor people. Small performance and traditional food help those people have holidays in the warm and friendly atmosphere. As usually local enterprises and people contribute to this action. Metropolitan Ihor Voznyak and Bishop Volodymyr, Lviv city mayor Andriy Sadovy and Vynnyky city mayor Volodymyr Kvurt joined those solidarity actions. Singer Mykhaylo Myrka, NGO “Vynnyky golden youth” and choir “Zgarda” performed at the solidarity actions.

In 2019 we started construction works of The recycling center. It will help us to improve our sorting process and storage of goods. And that will improve better service for poor people and better care for the environment.

“Oselya” has acquired a land plot to construct a building. The architectural project of the future Recycling Center was completed and all legalization documentation and permission for construction works were obtained. The site has been electrified and water is provided. Ground works has been carried out and the foundation has been laid. Metal was purchased and work is underway to form the metal structures of the building with an area of 763 square meters.

The project is financed by Emmaus Europe, Emmaus International, Emmaus Haarzuilens and Wild Geese Foundation, Emmaus Helsinki and other donors.

Since its very beginning Oselya has been developing partnership with Emmaus movement. In 2010 Oselya became a member of the movement. We participate in Ukraine – Poland Collective meetings and Regional Councils of Emmaus Europe.

In April 2019 we hosted Ukraine – Poland Collective meeting and welcomed our colleagues from Emmaus groups in Poland, Georgia, Latvia, Romania, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany. We had discussions about our work and how to improve our cooperation and develop Emmaus activities in Eastern Europe. As a part of our agenda, there was a meeting of Emmaus Europe president Willi Does and Lviv city mayor Andriy Sadovyy. They discussed Oselya’s work in helping homeless people in Lviv city for the last 15 years. After the meeting there was opening of the photo exhibition “Oselyata” by Dutch photographer Robin Alysha Clemens and writer Lisa Weeda.

In October Oselya participated in Emmaus Europe Regional Assembly in San Sebastian in Spain. Meeting like that takes place every two years and it welcomes the representatives of all Emmaus groups in Europe. During the three days the delegates discussed the current situations in Emmaus groups, solidarity economy, migration policy, etc. The new president of Emmaus Europe was elected. This is Carina Aaltonen from Emmaus Finland.

We always remember and honor the founder and the leader of Oselya Olesya Sanotska. This year we came together on her birthday to share our memories about her. She will be always in our hearts.

Companions, workers and volunteers of Oselya actively participate in various events, spread the Emmaus idea and enrich their own experience. This year, the companions went on holiday to the Carpathians, paid visit to communities “Nasha Khata” and “L’arche”, and celebrated the 16th anniversary of Oselya. 

Oselya continued active cooperation with Ukrainian and foreign organizations. Many guests visited us in 2019 and our activity was highlighted in numerous mass media.

In February we participated in the meeting of social entrepreneurs in Poltava city. In May we participated in the conference “Homelessness, complex approach to the social problem solution” that took place in Odesa city. In November we participated in Lviv Social Forum.

The students of couple universities (Ukrainian Catholic University, Banking institute and Police institute) had practice in Oselya. They helped in the kitchen, at food distribution, at sorting goods and charity shop etc. In 2019 Oselya was consulting new nonprofit “Tarilka” that aims to create food bank in Lviv city. We are planning to be actively involved in this project.

In 2019 there Ukraїner made a short documentary about Oselya and also printed the story about us in their book both in Ukrainian and English.

In the end of the year “Dobranich Film” filmed another documentary “Klyuchi” (“Keys”). They have spent couple of weeks in community. The movie is financed by State Movie Agency. The release is planned by the end of 2020.

INCOME FOR OPERATING COSTS IN 2019 5 119 102.72 UAH
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OPERATING EXPENSES IN 2019 4 586 233.96 UAH
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DONORS OF “EMMAUS – OSELYA” IN 2019

“!Fest” Holding of emotions, Karlsberg Ukraine Brewery, Ltd. “Shuvar”, Comel Ltd., CFT Ltd., Ltd “Shvydky svit”, Ltd. “Vynnychanka”, Ltd “Ortotop”, Ltd “Dynamo Invest”, Ltd Hileta G.M., participants of “Miss Lviv” and “Queen of Lviv”, RIA Magazine, Myhalyna Andriy and Oksana, Ltd Lvivholod, “Raduha” LLC, Ltd “Oliyar” (“Mayola”), PJSC Concern Khlibprom, Yar-step Ltd, Medvyana Rosa Ltd, Svichado Ltd, Bohdan Holiyan, Ltd Zakhidkhlib, Ltd Pole, Ltd Tirola, Berta group, Parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Lviv, Parish of Exaltation of the Honest and Life-giving Cross in Lviv, Parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lviv, Parish of St. Archangel Mychail in Stavchany village, Parish of the Blessed Eucharist in Lviv, Parish of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lviv, Parish of the Holy Eucharist in Lviv, Parish of St. Nicholas in Dubanevychi village, Parish of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Tuchne village, and others.