Solutions from Ukraine: Ivano-Frankivsk launches new support club for elderly IDPs

In Ivano-Frankivsk, the Honcharenko Center for Culture, education, and Volunteerism has launched a free dating and support club for senior citizens, including both residents and those who have been displaced.

Rubryka writes about it.

What is the problem?

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ivano-Frankivsk has become a city of refuge for tens of thousands of displaced persons from different parts of Ukraine – from Melitopol to Kherson, from Kharkiv to Mykolaiv. Among them are many pensioners who found themselves here without relatives, far from their homes. They often feel lonely and do not know where to meet and find friends.

What is the solution?

The Honcharenko Center in Ivano-Frankivsk has launched a new club called "Vsi Svoii" [can be translated as "all of you belong to us" – ed.]to connect elderly individuals in need of companionship and support. The club welcomes both displaced individuals and residents to weekly gatherings, providing a space for them to build a supportive community and offer assistance during tough times.

How does it work?

According to the director of the space, Oksana Kuzmenko, the meetings will be moderated by an experienced psychologist, Kateryna, and the plan is to build a whole community around the idea of the club.

"We want elderly people not to feel alone but to be able to gather in a friendly circle, get to know each other, do something together, and share their experiences. We believe that our initiative will help integrate and socialize immigrants, and later, the club will become a real community of active and creative people. This is the strength of Ukrainians: we do everything together. And we have "all belong to us," regardless of age and where they came from," shares Oksana Kuzmenko.

The organizers add that meetings will be held every Friday at 3:30 p.m. at the address 1/1 Shashkevycha (Honcharenko Center Ivano-Frankivsk). Ivano-Frankivsk residents need only register using this link to participate.