Aid the impaired children with safe transportation

With the arrival of spring, a new reality came to Ukraine - for most people, life here changed dramatically after the declaration of war. This is a terrible grief, thousands of Ukrainians have died, many have lost their homes, they are forced to flee from russian “liberators” to areas far from hostilities, or abroad. This bloody, useless war has ruined many lives and only by sticking together, helping those in need, we can stand up for ourselves, defend our dignity and independence.

With the advent of war, life in our Centre has also changed: Dzherelo provides temporary shelter to families of internally displaced persons with children with disabilities. We give them with everything they need, our psychologists and rehabilitation specialists work with children to somehow relieve, alleviate the stress that these children experienced while fleeing from hot spots. We also have to look after and take care of the families cared for by the Centre before the war - about 400 families are still at their homes, we provide them with medicines or food when needed.

Our buses of Dzherelo also contribute to helping refugees - we have an Assistance Post at the railway station, drivers on buses take people who asked for help to check-in point around the city and then settle them in Dzherelo. They do this around the clock, drivers are given special passes that allow them to move around the city during curfew. Our drivers also took part in delivering humanitarian aid from the Polish-Ukrainian border to people who found refuge in our Centre. Our buses are also involved in delivering food and medicines to the families of Dzherelo, if they need it.

Present times are of an extraordinary test for Ukraine: in order not only to survive, but also to emerge victorious from this struggle for independence, it takes incredible strength of spirit and unity. Not only the unity of Ukrainians, but the unity of the entire democratic world, which remains true to its values and now demonstrates extraordinary solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Thank you very much for this! The team of the Dzherelo Centre is ready for all the challenges that await us, and with your support we will be able to continue our work to provide help to those in need.

The winter holidays are closing in, but until that time our buses will continue to bring children on their daily programs to Dzherelo Centre. Children will be able to enjoy a small holiday, so they can spend this special time together with their parents. Right now, Dzherelo is opening a new 7th branch, so we are expanding and growing, as our children grow with us!

In recent months, we were able to make quite a few improvements to our transportation program, to make it better and more comfortable for our kids and their parents. First, the Centre hired a coordinator for the program. This person helps the bus drivers to solve their logistics questions – forms and develops schedules and routes. Also, she answers questions from parents about the transportation issues and manages parents who are new to Dzherelo and have never before used a transportation system. The coordinator is a great help for us and especially the parents and children of the Centre.

Winter has come to Ukraine. it is cold, windy and, most importantly, slippery. We, humans, can handle it somehow, but it is different, when the deal comes to buses. So, we decided to winterize tires for our buses, to avoid potential dangerous situations of the road. The buses are also frequently inspected, to ensure that they are in a good state. If the bus shows signs of any breakage, it is taken off the program until qualified specialists repair it.

Dzherelo Centre is growing and thrives. We already are in a joyful mood and are preparing for the holidays. Thank you for being with us! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!