Project Period: since 2019 until today

The opening and thus the commissioning of the Family Center began in September 2019 and can be chalked up as a successful instance of support. Since then, the Family Center has been an important milestone for the people who live there, as it is a place of togetherness for families, especially for trauma victims and widows. It is a place where people can live, come together and socialize. There are different activities for all ages. People talk to each other, they support each other. Oriental dishes are prepared in the kitchen, little artists show their talent in the music room and children romp around in the indoor playground. Last year, the Center welcomed 15 new mothers and their 20 children. This change was necessary to make the Family Center’s services accessible to as many different families as possible. For the existing mothers and children, the offers of the Family Center are still available, especially the indoor playground is attractive for the children. Individual pieces of play equipment had to be replaced accordingly, and new courses could be introduced for the first time. The English course offered is used by both mothers and children. Due to the Corona restrictions, families could not meet regularly, which meant that there were no meals together. When current policies allowed, they organized outings and picnics. There are considerations to include such activities in the social program and to carry them out regularly. There has been a positive development in the area of psychological care. In the beginning, some women showed feelings of shame when seeking psychological support. However, in the past year, all mothers have taken advantage of the counselling and used the sessions with the psychologist. The sewing and computer courses are also profitable and popular, as the women can always expand their skills – overall, the staff do a very good job. Since 2019, the costs for the staff have been covered by Caritas Slovakia. At Christmas, a Christmas party was and is organized, to which all visitors of the Family Center were invited for a celebration with music, dance and food. For the children, there was a gift presentation by Santa Claus.