Devai Utca: A new volunteering journey

 Since the new path started on our volunteering journey with the shop closing, we are experiencing other volunteering opportunities. One of these is to help out  in a place where they are offering sustainable life for Ukrainians. 

As we know a result of the war many people left behind their lifestyle and made a new life in another country. Hungary was also one of their destinations. We all know that it is really hard to leave everything behind and make a new life. Since they moved here of course they are in need of clothes, food, and places. The place where we are volunteering is offering second-hand clothing and homemade cleaning products for Ukrainians. We as volunteers are helping them to make cleaning products and organize clothes by categories. Sometimes they are also organizing workshops for Ukrainians to spend their time usefully. One of the workshops is crocheting with old fabrics which is quite interesting. I am very happy to be a part of such a project and to help people suffering from the brutal aspects of war.

 

Context: The “Mandák House”, as part of the Lutheran congregation of Józsefváros, has always been fulfilling a mission to embrace the most vulnerable ones. When the war in Ukraine started, they opened their doors for those who were fleeing the dangers. The place  soon proved to be small, thus, with the support of the UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency), they were searching for a new location. They are renting and renovated this building in the Dévai street 11.  for the specific needs of caring for the refugees. The place is called the “Dévai Fogadó” - Dévai Inn.

Here they provide a wide range of services, such as  legal assistance, spiritual counseling, clothes, food and hygiene packages, as well as household items, teach computer skills, organize a theater group, a handicraft workshop where women can talk about their traumas among themselves, there is a washing room with 8 washing machines, and families get help with the schooling of the children and finding jobs for the parents. 

Every week there are in average 200 families searching for help. Our volunteers are helping to prepare food and clothing packages for these families.


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