LocationsCentre for combating loneliness
A social service helps residents of a small community in Chernivtsi Oblast feel needed
For more than 20 years, Valentyna Romaniuk has worked in the social sector, a profession she considers her true calling. She now heads the Centre for Social Services in the Hlyboka community, which provides support to vulnerable groups. Her primary focus is finding opportunities to launch new initiatives that improve the lives of community members.
“You know, this work is inseparable from me now,” she shares. “It’s not just that I work in the social sector – it’s a part of me. All these years, it’s been my only job, my whole life.”
In March 2023, the Hlyboka community in Bukovyna became a partner in the flagship “EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine” partnership between the EU and UNDP.
“Before, we never even dreamed this could be possible!” Romaniuk says.
With EU and UNDP support, the community acquired a minibus for home services, palliative care, and in-kind assistance. This mobile hub brings specialized social services to people with limited mobility and those living in remote areas. It is equipped with tools such as hairdressing supplies and gardening equipment to meet a variety of needs. The mobile team includes a hairdresser, a maintenance worker, and a social worker.
In the past, older residents received visits from a social worker who could only offer basic household assistance, such as grocery shopping or pharmacy runs. Anything beyond that wasn’t feasible.
“But now we can give haircuts, do repairs, and even help tidy up,” Romaniuk says. “It’s incredibly convenient. We’ve been operating for a full year now, regularly serving about 100 residents, and requests for our mobile service keep coming in. In the summer, for instance, mowing the grass was in high demand. In the winter, most requests were for chopping firewood. Since this is a rural area, many older residents live in houses that can be difficult for them to maintain. That’s why they have us.”
The residents of the Hlyboka community have the phone number of the mobile social service coordinator. Whenever they need assistance, they call and describe their situation. The coordinator then schedules visits to different settlements based on their needs. Hlyboka is a small rural settlement far from the regional centre, but it’s a place where people know how to care for each other.
Another project that Romaniuk speaks about with pride is the Social Adaptation Space, where older people, internally displaced persons, and people with disabilities can access a wide range of services. This initiative was also supported by the EU and UNDP. Within that space, they established the “University of the Third Age,” which offers people over 60 the chance to acquire some new knowledge. The university has two faculties: Literature and the Arts, and Self-Care.
“We currently have 20 students, but we plan to add another group because demand is growing,” Romaniuk says. “People come here to interact with others because, for the most part, they are lonely. Even if they have children or grandchildren, they spend most of their time alone at home.”
She recalls that three years ago, at the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 2,000 displaced people passed through the community. Today, around 300 remain. Among them is the oldest student at Hlyboka’s University of the Third Age.
“The war has, of course, left its mark and shattered many lives,” Romaniuk admits. “But despite everything, our community has welcomed new people, many of them older adults. And they crave connection the most – they constantly ask when the next meeting will take place. One of our students, who came from the east of Ukraine, is 83 years old. Despite her age, she is so active that she’s truly inspiring.”
Romaniuk firmly believes that the lives of older adults can be made easier and more fulfilling with the right support. To her, every challenge should be seen as a task to be solved, carried out responsibly, and ultimately rewarded with the joy of seeing the smile of someone you have helped.
“Older people are often left alone with their problems,” she says. “That’s why it’s crucial for them to have someone who cares. And when you see their smiles, you realize that your life and your work are not in vain. You understand that you are needed and that you are truly making a difference in people’s lives. That’s probably my biggest motivation.”
Photo credit: Halyna Kuchmanych / Reporters / UNDP in Ukraine
