NOT ALONE

About 20 former homeless, alcohol and drug addicts live in the Emmaus Home mutual aid community in the small town of Vynnyky in western Ukraine. Each of them came here for different reasons – someone left the house, someone lost their homes/flats or so by deceit, some were left in their maternity hospital. Here they live in a large family and try to overcome their material, social and psychological issues. In order to stay here, residents of the Home must follow certain rules: the house must be clean, they are not allowed to drink alcohol and all of them have to work.

The Oselya is one of the first organizations in Ukraine to work with homeless people. It is a whole social organism that collects and repairs used clothing etc. and sells it in a charity shop. The community also takes care of the special “Oseredok” where homeless people come to eat, take a shower and some new clothes for free. Also, community workers, volunteers and residents, formerly homeless, organize free dinners on Thursdays.

Actually, by helping others, they are all helping themselves. Many of them leave the community because they cannot stand the rules and the work. And someone leaves because he has found his faith in himself again and moves on. Starts a family, finds a favorite business, and already has a home. One of them is Sashko Horondi, who after a few months of life on the street came to the community, where he later discovered the extraordinary talent of a tailor. He is currently a renowned designer of backpacks and accessories in Ukraine.

And the 36-year-old Myron has been living in the community for 15 years. He works at a charity shop and gets on well with customers. Myron is a very kind and vulnerable man, as he is always saying he had a great memory. He is eager to start a family of his own. Myron never saw his parents, because his mother left him in the hospital. His mother was once replaced by The Home community founder Olesya Sanotska. However, several years ago, Olesya went into eternity due to a serious illness. But her life time project keeps living.