NGO "Volunteer movement "Joint Aid"

Main focus of the NGO " Volunteer movement "United Aid" is arranging the aid (social, psychological, legal) being provided to forced refugees from Eastern Ukraine and Crimea and different socially vulnerable categories (the elderly, the disabled, minors, etc.) and the youth living in the Eastern Ukraine. Areas in which joint projects can be implemented: 1) Development of youth volunteerism (assistance to the elderly and the disabled) 2) Assistance to IDP and refugees 3) Working with rural youth Projects: Since September 2015 the NGO "Volunteer movement "Joint Aid" has been implementing the project aimed to help older people affected by the conflict in the East of Ukraine "Elderly in Distress" . The warfare in Ukraine particularly effects the vulnerable groups of the population, and for the biggest extent, the elderly people. Therefore the project is aimed to train the volunteers to help the elderly people (do the repairs, fight the isolation communicating with the youth, etc.). The help is aimed at the elderly people, living in the liberated territories of the West of Ukraine effected by the warfare. Donor: The Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" (EVZ, Germany). Project goals: 1) Helping to improve dramatically worsened living conditions of the target group representatives on volunteer basis. This includes repair of windows, roofs, walls, fences, renovation of yards and gardens after the explosions and so on. 2) Searching for young volunteers, their training and monitoring of their activities; development of the volunteer movement in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. 3) Provision of psychological help to representatives of the target group. This is, particularly, communications, as currently many target group representatives have got into a spcific communicational isolation. Project results: during the project, in cooperation with the local authorities and volunteer organizations, the humanitarian and psychological aid was provided to about 500 elderly people effected by the warfare in Eastern Ukraine. Major accomplishments and success stories Over 500 elderly people received humanitarian and psychological in the course of the project "Elderly in Distress" aimed to help elderly people affected by the conflict in the East of Ukraine. About 100 young volunteers were attracted to the project. 50 of them have passed targeted training. This project significantly increased youth volunteer movement in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. The project promoted creation of practical mechanisms of interaction between the local authorities and NGOs in the joint effort for efficient help to the most vulnerable social groups. The project has attracted attention of the media.