Annual report 2015

The main activity of “Oselya” is organization of life and work in the Community of homeless people. This is a group of people, which live and work together. They have a common household, solve their life problems and help those who are poorer. In 2015, 35 companions lived in the Community, three children among them.In the community people get a psychological support, a referral to a medical check-up, pocket money, help in re-issue of lost documents, participate in cultural events, are also actively involved in solidarity actions, help others. Newcomers participate in social training – three months courses that include addiction therapy, personal development training, history of Emmaus movement. A psychologist and a social worker carry these trainings every day.
In 2015, we received financial support from Abbe Pierre Foundation for improving living conditions and energy saving in the community. The project started this year and it will continue in 2016. In 2015, Henry Nouwen Foundation and («ICCO») supported rehabilitation program for the companions. The program includes extra social and psychological support of the companions and additional addiction therapy.

“Emaus – Oselya” collects used goods from citizens (clothing, furniture, books, dishes, toys, household equipment etc.). Every day two trucks pick up those goods in the city. To make the collecting of goods more efficient and for comfort of Lviv inhabitants, we put 18 containers for clothing, shoes and books in 16 locations in the city. This initiative is not only social but also ecological. The goods are not thrown away as a waste, but are being sorted carefully. We also sell the unusable goods for recycling. In 2015, we sold 80 000 kg of clothing for recycling. The Cargill Company (“Provimi”) produced and put a clothing container in Ivano Frankove village in Lviv region to collect clothing for our community. Lviv municipality helps us with the social advertisement on the city billboards.In 2015 Henry Nouwen Foundation donated a truck to our group. That helped to improve our collections. Thanks to the support of European Emmaus groups, we enlarged and reequipped our depot. That improved a lot the sorting process. The companions and volunteers sort, repair and sell collected goods in charity shop, or give for free to poor and homeless people as well as to internal refugees from Eastern Ukraine.

In 2015, about 100 families received clothing and furniture for free. We also donated goods to other organizations: Christian association for youth and families, Community “Nasha khata”, Charitable Foundation “Myloserdya Starosambirshchyny”. In general we donated 10 000 kg of clothing and much furniture to other organizations. More than 600 homeless people were regularly receiving clothing in Social support center during the year. We donated much cloth and clothing to volunteers who produce nets for Ukrainian army.

The charity shop is one of Oselya activities. Here we sell goods that Lviv inhabitants give away like furniture, clothing, books, household equipment etc. The shop is a main source of the Community income and solidarity actions. In September 2015 thanks to the support of Henry Nouwen Foundation, we enlarged our shop and opened bookstore and coffee shop. On September 29, we held official re-opening of the charity shop. There was performance by “Pani Kurazh” and musical part from State Art School.

Customers come to «Emaus – Oselya” to not only shop, but also to spend time in nice atmosphere, meet some people. That is why we organize different events in the shop. This year we had Easter eggs master class, buttons-therapy, and Saint Nickolas holidays. We also started movie screening and literature meetings. For the literature meetings we invite one well-known writer and   the one never published before. In 2015, we held two meetings of this format.

Furniture workshop is one of the main activities of Oselya. The workshop is a center of work therapy, education, as well as a source of income for the community. In 2015, fifteen companions studied and worked in the workshop. They had an opportunity to get skills on furniture renovation, upholstery, and sewing. Citizens of Lviv know about our activity and give their furniture for renovation, giving donations for our work.Some people gives away used furniture and household equipment, which we renovate and sell in the charity shop. We also present another services such as furniture delivery, a visit of a craftsman to a client, consulting about choice of fabric. In 2015, Mara Foundation donated overlock machine and different tools. Henry Nouwen Foundation donated professional sewing machine.

This year we continued to run Kofoed’s social support center. Homeless people who live on the streets and poor inhabitants of the city come here to take shower, to do haircut, to do laundry, get food every day. Generally in 2015 we had 6 504 visits from 616 people (every day we have 20-35 visitors). The running expenses of the Center were supported by Kofoed’s School, the Social services office and Department of economic policy of Lviv municipality.

Solidarity with poor people is one of the main values of the Community. We cook and distribute food for 100 people every week since 2003. During street work, we inform homeless people about the places where they can receive social service. In 2015, we did 50 food distributions. For the Saint Nickolas holiday, we distributed 160 presents for people in need.

For Christmas and Easter our Community organizes a big holiday celebration for about four hundreds poor people to share a holiday joy with them. In 2015, we held those holidays in Lviv Art Palace. Performances, songs, and carols accompanied actions by “Gych” band. Invited people felt like participants of a true family holiday. Traditionally local enterprises and people are donators of this action. This year many internal refugees from Eastern Ukraine came for Easter breakfast.

In the social hostel today we have 20 residents, ten of them are former companions of the Community. At the social hostel we have the social enterprise, a furniture workshop where two residents of the social hostel work. The charity shop called “Workshop of good deeds “Emmaus – Oselya” function in the social hostel too.

The Workshop of good deeds “Emaus – Oselya” functions at the social hostel since September 2012. That is a place, where Lviv citizens can donate goods, repair their furniture as well as to buy to support the social hostel. The charity shop cooperates with other NGOs and sells the handicrafts they produce.We invite volunteers and local citizens to different activities. In 2015, we had workshops on producing handmade postcards, Easter eggs etc. The resident of social hostel Sashko Horondi started his own business – handmade backpacks. In 2015, we held four screenings within XII International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival Docudays UA. At the social hostel we also run English language lessons for the children who come from low-income families.

In 2015, we continued the project of street social and cultural street magazine “Prosto neba”. It has two aims – to help the homeless to earn money and to provide social activity of the homeless, and to pay the public attention to the problem of homelessness. Many famous journalists, writers and public persons as well as socially excluded people work on the magazine. In 2015, we published two issues, 3,000 copies of each and had three vendors. International Emmaus Movement finances the magazine. Traditionally we sell the magazine biggest book fair in Ukraine – the Book Forum in Lviv. On December 5, we held the presentation of 28th issue at “Vilny prostir” venue followed by discussion on the discrimination and internal refugee’s issue.

Since November 2010, Oselya has cooperated with Lviv City Employment Center. It provides our organization with public workers. The Employment Center together with Department of economic policy of Lviv city Council pay for their work. In Oselya public workers work in the Social support center, in the Community and the social hostel. In 2015, 31 persons did public works in Oselya (4 in April, 4 in May, 4 in June, 5 in July, 5 in August, 3 in September, 3 in October, 1 in November, and 2 in December). These human resources are very important for us because these projects aren’t financed by the state, and because of important work we do all together to solve social problems of our city.

On August 29th, we held Garage sale named “French salon in Lviv” with the main message “Garage sales are not charity, but solidarity”. “Emaus – Oselya” and street magazine “Prosto neba” for a long time already cooperate with writers and artists, so together we can promote idea of solidarity and mutual support. At this garage sale, they helped our companions to sell goods.Yuriy Andruchovych, Andriy Kurkov, Halyna Vdovychenko, Hryhoriy Semenchuk, Halya Shyyan, Rostysla Shpuk, Yevheniya Senik, and Mykhaylo Myrka participated in the garage sale. We were selling clothing, books, furniture, bric-a-bracs etc. We also sold the exclusive collection of porcelain dolls and dishes donated by French Emmaus groups after Salon in Paris. Sashko Horondi presented his handmade backpacks. Image Theater “Pani Kurazh” performed show Fashion Voyage “Lviv – Paris”. Our models created atmosphere of bohemian Paris. One could have seen famous French actors and singers on the stage as well as Coco Chanel. “Nasha khata” baked French croissants specially for this event. At the garage sale we collected 31 877 UAH for the needs of organization.

The companions, employers, and volunteers of Emaus-Oselya participate actively in different events, promote the idea of solidarity and share and enhance their experience. In 2015, three members of our group participated at Emmaus Salon in Paris. One employer had trainings at Emmaus Lublin community, and another one participated in summer camp at Emmaus Aland. We continued to participate in Emmaus Europe Regional Council and participated in Emmaus Europe Regional Assembly that took place in Manchester in September 2015. In May, employers of “Emaus-Oselya” participated in the team-building and strategic planning training. The same training we had in September for the social hostel residents. In August, we had summer camp in Carpathian Mountains for companions and employers. In September, 2015 new companions participated in one-week therapeutic training in Verkhovyna city. In March and December the community football team participated in the competition between rehabilitation centers.

“Emaus-Oselya” is one of the main organizations in the city that works with homeless people. Oselya is a member of the Coordination Council on homelessness problems at the city and region councils. Students of social work of the National Lviv Polytechnic University did practical training in our organization. Traditionally local donators – private persons and enterprises – were involved in different actions. We continued the cooperation with NGO “Narodna Dopomoha – Lviv”, “Narodna Dopomoha” from Chernivtsi, the Community of mutual aid “Nasha Khata”, and the Center of registration and night shelter for the homeless, the Book Forum etc. In September 2015, “Emaus – Oselya” financed two-day team-building training for Community “Nasha khata”. The representatives of Community “Nasha khata” and Caritas Brody made study visits to our community. “Emaus – Oselya” is always open for guests and visitors who would like to see our work. This year we welcomed participants of Social Enterprise School, participants of youth program of Lviv Education Foundation and others.

INCOMES IN 2015 3 871 362.39 UAH

EXPENDITURES IN 2015 3 389 092.62 UAH

Finances left for capital and operational budget in 2016: 482 269.77 UAH

PARNTERS OF “EMAUS – OSELYA” IN 2015:

International Emmaus Movement; Kofoed’s school, Denmark; Abbe Pierre Foundation; Lviv city council; Henry Nouwen Foundation; Lviv Educational Foundation; Lviv City Employment Bureau; NGO “Vynnyky Golden Youth”; NGO “Museum of Ideas”; Image Theatre “Pani Kurazh”; Lviv Art Palace; “!Fest” Holding of emotions; NGO “Narodna Dopomoga – Lviv”; NGO “Narodna Dopomoga”, Chernivtsi; Sociology and social work department of National Lviv Polytechnic University; NGO “Book Forum”; Centre of registration and night shelter for homeless; Municipal center of social services for familiies, children and youth; Regional center of social adaptation; Community “Nasha Khata”

DONORS OF “EMAUS-OSELYA” IN 2015:

Charity foundation “Pivdenny”; Ltd. business concern “Lvivkholod”; Ltd. “Druk service”; Ltd. “Alfa – beta”; Market “Shuvar”; Company Cargill (Ltd “Provimi”); Ltd. “Lviv Alcohol Factory”; Rotary club “Lviv – Castle”; Ltd. “CieFTi Ukraina”; Restaurant “Vyshyvanka”; Ltd. “Carlsberg Ukraine”, Individual donations.