All-Ukrainian network of the charity organization Caritas Ukraine (UGCC)
Caritas (from the Latin “caritas” – charity, selfless, selfless love) – an international network of charitable organizations engaged in supporting the development of society, social activities and helping people. The main goal of Caritas is to become a source of inspiration and a center of life in solidarity, assistance and service.
History
The first regional Caritas organizations began to emerge in Ukraine with independence in 1992 at the initiative of revived local Greek Catholic communities. They were mainly involved in the distribution of humanitarian aid. However, public needs led to the expansion of the social work of Caritas in Ukraine, which led to the creation of a public organization – Caritas Ukraine.
In 1994, the fund’s management and coordination center was established, the National Bureau, located in Lviv, with a representative office in Kyiv, whose main task was to unite individual organizations into a single Caritas Ukraine network. In 1999, Caritas Ukraine became a full member of the international confederation Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Europa.
At the same time, the Love and Mercy NGO, now known as the Caritas-Spes Religious Mission of the Roman Catholic Church, has been operating in Ukraine since 1990.
