Greetings from Kiev,
The summer is over and the fall program has started.
In the summer we had a lot of great day trips – we went to see a 3D movie, several trips to McDonalds, museum trips, and several other entertainments.
Some of the kids from our families have started in school this fall and Bill and I were so lucky that we were invited to be with one of them on his first day in school - a great day for both us and for the child.
This fall we have expended our program to include having a “Mother’s Day Out” program every Wednesday. Just behind our St. Luke’s Family Center, we have a play ground, where a lot of mothers and grandmothers take their preschool age children to the playground every day. It is starting getting cold here in Kiev and we want to invite them to the center for a cup of coffee, a talk and for the children to play.
Another new activity is introduction of English classes and an English Club for the students at the university we have close to our center.
In addition, once a month we want to reach out to our neighbors for a to a cup of coffee, help the kids who need help with homework, sharing humanitarian aid, invite them in to a positive and healthy environment.
Besides our new program we are continuing mother and child groups for families at risk, a life skill program for older street children and we are also starting up life skill groups for the younger kids coming to our center.
The city government is continuing to work with us to provide names of families at risk so that we can help the children to stay in the families, build good relationships within the families and build up the mother’s self esteem.
We continue to see good progress in the families we are working with – both for the mothers and the children and the relationships between the mother and children.
The work project for those over 17 is continuing and we are doing well. Our challenge is to sell over products, so we can be self supported and we want to start a small business. If some of you would like to come and help us with this project you are more than welcome!
