Collection of funds for children from Ukraine in the ELEOS Center in Gladyszow

We would like to ask all of you people of good will for support for the Orthodox Center of Mercy of the Przemyśl-Gorlice Diocese ELEOS, which is located in the small village of Gładyszów (in the south of Poland, near the border with Slovakia). ELEOS from Greek means mercy and we want to bestow this mercy on every person we meet on our way.

From March 5, war refugees from Ukraine - mostly children, have been staying in our Center. Therefore, Archbishop Paisjusz on March 14, 2022, with his decree, established an orphanage for refugees from Ukraine at our Center. Today it is 20 people - 17 girls, and 3 adults (including a 90-year-old grandmother). 17 girls (aged 7 to 17) are children from the Family Orphanage - Charity Center "KLENOVYI LYST" in Stojanów, Ukraine. During our stay with us, three rockets flew over the center in Stojanów and were shot down. Dread to think what would happen if they fell on their Center.

The foundation "KLENOVYI LYST" (Maple Leaf) is run by the wife of the Orthodox priest Matuszka Maria Bilas. She is also a mother for these girls. The girls come from pathological families. Left in dormitories and makeshift orphanages, they were taken in by Mrs. Maria and her husband, Fr. Bogdan. They also have two adult children - Olena and Jurij. Olena is also with us, but Jurij and their father, Fr.Bogdan, for obvious reasons, had to stay in Ukraine.

In the first place, your payments will be allocated to the purchase of the most necessary items: i.e. all food, household chemicals, hygiene products, necessary clothing, footwear, and local equipment for the needs of refugees staying in our Center. We also want to support those war refugees who currently reside throughout our Przemyśl-Gorlice Diocese: in parish houses and private apartments.

We would also like to help those in need there - in Ukraine, where there is already a problem with access to basic items: salt, vegetable oil, flour. The needs are huge. We have families and friends there who have a clear understanding of what help is absolutely necessary at a given moment. Our humanitarian aid so far in the form of medicines, sleeping bags and sleeping mats also went directly to the war front thanks to the aforementioned father of our girls, Fr. Bogdan.

We really need your help for our Center. We would like the building in which they are staying and the surroundings of our Eleos to be friendly and safe for children. The building was put into use relatively recently, there are some unfinished matters that require, above all, financial commitment. The center is more adapted to the needs of disabled people. We don't even have a makeshift playground - nothing that could make our pupils happy. We are also planning to build a focal shelter so that you can spend time outdoors. We also need to secure funds for the replacement of the heating source of the new Eleos building, where our girls are staying - so far the building was empty and we were not aware of the problems we may face in winter - during the heating season.

First of all, we are focused on long-term help - for today there is no prospect that any of our charges would want to come back to Ukraine. Rather, we are already talking about the development of our ELEOS Center for the needs of the KLENOVYI LYST Foundation. For how long - no one can tell.

For all your contributions - heartfelt GOD BLESS YOU!