A round table was held in the conference room of the Regional Orphan’s Ministry “My Home” which brought together representatives of charitable organizations of Kherson. The reason for this meeting was planning of the regional conference “Healing family – building the future”. This conference will be held by initiative of the Council of Christian Churches of Kherson region, Alliance “Ukraine without orphans” and Orphans’ Ministry “My Home”.

In order to promote the vision of “My Home” Orphans’ Ministry, our staff visited two churches in Kakhovka area over the last month and had one information meeting.

There was a training with this subject for foster parents, it united both new and experienced parents who shared their professional experience. Hot debates, “for” and “against”, theory and practice, inspiring life stories… The day went by in one breath; each participant has deepened their knowledge in this area to make their choice more consciously and deliberately.

International Volunteer Day was founded in 1985 by the UN General Assembly. In Ukraine the volunteer day was officially recognized ten years ago. This is the only day in the year when awards are given not for scientific achievement or demonstrated courage but for caring hearts.

Last week, on November 29, the executive committee held a working meeting between the mayor of Nova Kakhovka Vladimir Kovalenko and advisor to Mayor Yuri Kobtsov with the chairman of Kherson Regional Orphan’s Ministry “My Home” Yuri Marynchak and bishop, pastor of the Church of the Nativity Sergei Voznyuk. The meeting was dedicated to social work with the most vulnerable people, such as orphans, children with disabilities and families who found themselves in difficult circumstances.

It is not the first time that the training hall of “Center for Family and Parenthood” received adoptive parents and caregivers who come from different areas of Kherson region for advanced training. Three days were full and bright. Training participants together with trainers discussed trauma consequences, “brain chemistry” of a traumatized child, attachment, its importance in the life of any child and how it can be developed.

Volunteers-psychologists of “My Home” Kherson Regional Orphans’ Ministry hold group sessions of soul care for boys and girls of the Center of Social Adaptation of graduates. These sessions are working on personality in treatment of soul wounds.

Every Monday at the Center of Adaptation for orphanage graduates there are classes on touch typing method or ten-finger method of typing on the computer with the help of Christian program “Scripta”.

One of important projects of “My Home” Orphans’ Ministry is the Center of social adaptation for orphanage graduates. A whole schedule of socialization events useful and necessary for future life was developed for the graduates. And one of them is training on financial literacy, conducted by Dmitry Ostapenko.

That was the name of training for adoptive and foster parents from the Institute of Child Development. David Little was the speaker. Fifty parents came to learn how to build relationships based on trust.

On September 22 children from Tsurupinsk orphanage visited McDonald’s in Kherson! This pleasant visit became possible thanks to the team of “My Home” ministry and international mission “Agape”.

This trip was a part of “Birthday child day”, which is held every three months for children of the orphanage. But birthday celebration in McDonald’s was held for the first and we hope that it will become a tradition. The team of McDonald’s promised to arrange a similar surprise for future birthday boys and girls.

From April 9 till June 25 in Kherson and Nikolaev regions the team of “My Home” ministry had a true marathon with training program of International Center for Leadership Development (ICLD) “Key aspects of care for orphans and children deprived of parental care”. Psychologists and social teachers of Nova Kahovka schools, foster parents participating in “My Home” and from Kherson Center of Social Services for Children and Youth, mentors of children in orphanages from “One Hope”, teachers of Christian ethics for orphans from “Agape” mission, pastors and ministers of some local churches took part in the training.

On April 15 we told children about the true meaning of Easter holiday, and puppet theatre of “Living Spring” church helped us to make it bright, colorful and fun.

On March 18 there was a training seminar “Pedagogical correction of aggressive behavior” at the conference hall of Gornostayevka employment center.
About 40 parents, as well as psychologists, social workers and social services professionals gathered to determine forms of aggression, to diversify their ways of dealing with anger to help children in these matters.

Orphan’s ministry “My Home” bought physiotherapy equipment for Kherson Regional Children’s Home. The family of John and Wendy Schwab sponsored it.

On March 1-2 the team and volunteers of Orphans Ministry “My Home” visited the Ukrainian military in Artiomovsk. The reason for the visit was to support the guys from the 30th mechanized brigade of tank battalion with their presence, detergents and personal care products, as well as various useful treats.

On February 21, 2015, as part of improving the educational level, there were two workshops held for “My Home” parents: “No to bribery” and “Home education as an alternative to modern school education in the light of Christian teaching activities”.

Centre for distribution of clothing and shoes from Orphans Minstry “My Home” for displaced people from the area of ATO has started working again

Prior to that, the team and volunteers of “My Home” carried out this work in a facility provided by Dneprovsky executive committee of Kherson for two months. After this period, the project had to be suspended.

On January 29 of this year there was a training “Improving the efficiency of staff for My Home” employees. The invited speaker was a certified trainer of NGO “International Center for Development and Leadership” (Kiev) Yelena Andrukhovich.