Welfare Services, Ukraine

KEY FACTS

WJR supports the Hesed-Mobile which delivers Meals on Wheels to clients who are unable to reach a central point for a communal meal

Life-line cards allow recipients to shop for their own food

Working through local Jewish communities, this welfare programme aims to reach some 65,000 vulnerable elderly Ukrainian Jews, almost half of whom are not eligible for Restitution Funding. (Specific emphasis is placed on those who did not suffer persecution under the Nazi regime, and who are therefore ineligible for Restitution Funding.)

Support is focused in the WJR 'Our Town' locations of Krivoy Rog, Zaparozhye and Kharkov and provides food, winter relief and homecare.

There are a number of food programmes available to help the most vulnerable elderly Jews in the Ukraine. As well as delivering basic food packages, WJR supports the Hesed-Mobile which delivers Meals on Wheels to clients who are unable to reach a central point for a communal meal.

Communal meals are available, as are life-line cards which allow recipients to shop for their own food, thus retaining a strong sense of dignity.

Winter relief provides vital goods during the extreme winter months: blankets, coal and warm clothing.

Those who are housebound receive home visits from qualified staff who can help with chores such as cleaning and cooking.

Medical care, another vital service, is also provided to older people who would not be able to access services without our support.

Day care programmes are also available for those with some limited mobility.

Although the overall trend in Ukraine is one of economic improvement, since September 2007 there has been a rapid rise in inflation, causing food, utility bills and transport costs to rocket and spending power to once again decrease.