We are truly delighted to witness the positive transformations in communities made possible through our collaboration. From 2023 to 2024, we partnered with 63 communities across 15 oblasts, assisting them in assessing the need for social services, updating social passports, and developing mid-term plans for strengthening their social protection systems.
In the second installment of this special project, we share the achievements of the Novoyavorivska, Rudkivska, and Zinkivska communities following the update of their social passports.
- The Novoyavorivska community opened a safe space for women, Bila Svitlytsia.
- The Rudkivska community equipped a restroom in the city hospital for residents with limited mobility, compliant with applicable standards.
- The Zinkivska community reduced the number of crisis situations by proactively identifying issues and addressing needs.
How We Supported Communities in 2023–2024:
- Researched the availability and quality of social services in communities.
- Conducted workshops for social sector workers and local authorities on compiling social passports.
- Assisted with updating and designing social passports.
- Helped with developing mid-term plans for social protection system development.
A social passport is a functional document that contains information about a community’s resources and social characteristics and helps assess its potential.
Novoyavorivska Community’s Experience
Results achieved by the community following research and documentation:
- Opened Bila Svitlytsia, a safe space for women, and created children’s corners in public facilities.
- Established a free dental office for war veterans.
- Organized palliative care services and initiated the creation of a mental health center.
- Launched an educational center for in-depth studies in physics, chemistry, history, and science (visited by 3,000 children in 2024).
- Opened an innovative computer classroom.
- Created a day center with a crisis room providing social and psychological support for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence.
Ivanna Popyk, Secretary of the Novoyavorivsk City Council:
“We sincerely thank the CF “Stabilization Support Services” for their cooperation and motivational support in creating our social passport. The social passport is a foundation for monitoring the socio-economic indicators of community development, allowing us to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of programs and adjust them as needed.
Our social passport has become an effective tool for public management of local development, enabling current and future partners to assess our community’s potential. Based on the social passport, we developed and partially implemented proposals for improving the social service system in 2024.”
Experience of the Rudkivska Community
Results achieved by the community following research and documentation:
- Equipped the municipal hospital with a restroom for people with reduced mobility, adhering to relevant standards.
- Established a child and youth development center offering group and individual sessions with a psychologist, art therapy, workshops, educational activities, and support groups. Between July and December 2024, 156 children attended the center.
- Created a developmental space for children and teenagers, offering group and individual sessions with a psychologist specializing in social work, as well as art therapy, workshops, educational and developmental activities, and mutual support groups (156 children attended the facility from July to December 2024)
Iryna Khanashchak, Director of the Rudkivska Social Services Center:
“The social passport is a multifunctional tool that significantly improves residents’ quality of life and contributes to sustainable community development. We use its data to introduce new social services that meet the needs of vulnerable groups. We are grateful to our partner, the CF “Stabilization Support Services,” for their support.”
Experience of the Zinkivska Community
Results achieved by the community following research and documentation:
- Created and distributed informational brochures about the services of the Berehynia Social Support and Services Center to community members in difficult circumstances, including IDPs.
- Procured wheelchairs, canes, crutches, and walkers for the Center’s clients requiring mobility aids due to health conditions.
- Trained staff of specialized services to work with families, particularly IDPs who have experienced trauma due to the war. Reviewed specific cases and developed protocols for similar situations.
- Reduced the number of crisis situations (including those involving children, the elderly, and people with disabilities) through early problem identification and need-based responses.
- Established regular information exchange on social and legal issues with starosta districts of the community.
Viktor Piven, Head of the Social Protection Department of the Zinkiv City Council:
“We thank our team and the mentors from the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” for their tireless work and dedication, which made this important document possible. We are grateful for the professionalism and effort invested in developing the social passport. A social passport is a key tool for better understanding our community’s needs and developing effective social programs. It allows us to respond to social challenges promptly and support those who need help most.”
The social passports we helped update are available here: bit.ly/4ggkSi5.
We supported communities in compiling social passports as part of the Supporting the Capacity of the Social Protection System to Register Internally Displaced Persons project, funded by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.