“Luhansk brand” for those at risk.
14.05.2020
Articles
In times of crisis, when society faces new challenges, true humanity is revealed. An initiative that originated in Sievierodonetsk is a vivid example of how a community can unite to help those who need it most.
A project born out of need
Pensioners, people with disabilities, mothers with small children - all of them are trapped in quarantine restrictions. While young people can still adapt by ordering goods online, for many older people, even calling a store is already a difficult task. That's why activists from the Luhansk Regional Association of Organizations of People with Disabilities, together with the UN Program and the Department of Social Protection, have set up a center to help deliver essential goods.
This is not just a logistics service. It is a bridge between isolated people and the outside world.
Challenges exposed by the crisis
The initiative faced a number of problems that revealed not only the difficulties of quarantine but also deeper social issues.
- Fear of digital technologies. Many pensioners do not even use bank cards for fear of fraud, let alone online payments.
- Overload of social workers. The state imposes a huge responsibility on them, but does not provide resources: neither transportation nor funding for the distribution of humanitarian aid.
- Human loneliness. Volunteers say that their calls or personal meetings are often the only opportunity for the elderly to talk.
It's not just about goods. It is about how important it is that people do not feel abandoned.
Business is also in the game
You would think that any businessman would want to participate in a charitable initiative. But the reality showed otherwise: local stores realized that this was a chance not only to help people, but also to create a new delivery system for themselves that did not exist before. It is beneficial for business, and this cooperation turned out to be a kind of test drive for future services.
The main result is humanity
The main result is humanity
The project plans to reach 800-1400 people in three months. But that's not even the main thing. This project is not only about delivery, but also about changing society's attitude to social services. It is about going beyond the standard “humanitarian aid” to real interaction.
And also about human warmth. Because when an old lady treats volunteers to pies or blesses them with a hundred years of life, it becomes clear that help is not just about material things. It is about the connection between people that even a pandemic cannot break.
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