2022
Lviv organization “Nazareth” is engaged in helping people addicted to alcohol, drugs and gambling. And recently the community became a grantee of the Zagoriy Foundation.
The organization’s activities began in 2006. During this time, about 5000 people have undergone rehabilitation. Since 2015, there have been veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war among them. “It is difficult for some people to socialize or adapt in a peaceful environment, it is difficult to share their experiences with loved ones, and remoteness and the use of psychotropic substances or gambling helps to freeze stress, fear and problems,” Maryna explains the reasons.
Observing the impact of the war on the psychological state of a person since 2014, on February 24, representatives of the organization made a clear decision to continue their activities. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 96 people were undergoing rehabilitation in “Nazareth”.
But this is not the only area in which the community has joined. Since the first day of the full-scale invasion, the organization has been providing shelter to displaced persons. In six months, Nazareth has hosted 410 people. Some stayed only for a few days, some – for several months. During this time, the community even helped 200 people to go abroad, to safe places in Poland, Italy, Germany.
Currently, about 130 people live in “Nazareth”. Half of them are displaced persons, the other part is undergoing rehabilitation.
In addition to housing, food and medical care, they have compiled a spiritual and psychological program for the adaptation of immigrants in a peaceful environment.
“When I first arrived at the shelter, I was so devastated, just broken. And now I feel as if I’m coming back to myself”
– shares her impressions of the program a displaced person from Mariupol Halyna.
Of course, such a scale of work required many hands. Representatives of “Nazareth” admit that the first two months they worked non-stop.
Only in mid-April the workers began to gradually return to their usual schedule.
As whole Ukraine, Now “Nazareth” is waiting for the victory and wants as many addicts as possible to become free.