Children must have vacations. And ordinary days that smell of sunshine. And a life in which they are not afraid to dream. We have been watching with concern the attacks on Ukraine, intensified in recent weeks. Unprecedented drone and aerial attacks are now taking aim at major cities, including those in western Ukraine. Much more than before, children need places where they can take a break from fear and uncertainty of tomorrow. The St. Nicholas Day Care Center in Ivano-Frankivsk continually brings support to children harmed by war. During the summer months, the Day Care Center switches to the vacation mode: in June, July and August stationary therapeutic half-term camps are organized, as well as a summer camp in the Carpathian Mountains.
Five units of therapeutic half-term camps will be held in Ivano-Frankivsk between June and August, with a total of 250 children benefiting. Classes and workshops last all day, Monday through Friday. The Day Care Center serves as a “camping spot”. It is located in a beautiful lakeside park, surrounded by greenery, yet close to the city and its attractions such as the museum or cinema. This form of holiday activities proves itself annually – stationary camps are held at the Day Care Center every year during the summer months, and are immensely popular with children and young people from Ivano-Frankivsk and the surrounding area.
Each camp will include art therapy classes and group psychological activities of an integrative nature. Art therapy uses various forms and methods of therapeutic assistance, and is applied in all therapeutic, educational, preventive and educational activities. During the half-term camp, participants will take part in workshops using music, dance, art techniques and theater.
Participants also have the opportunity to play freely and spend some interesting time with their peers, e.g. on educational excursions.
Classes are conducted using active methods. Participants acquire new skills, e.g. culinary, while having fun and developing social competencies: group work, communication. All this is possible thanks to the fantastic staff, employees of the Day Care Center and volunteers. This dedicated team that will do anything for a child’s smile. And with success.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE HALF-DAY CAMP AND SMILE!
The carefree and joy-brightened eyes of children who face fear and uncertainty of tomorrow on a daily basis, who lack a sense of security every day, is the best proof that the Day Care Center restores childhood, gives hope and rest from worries, allowing children to simply be children.
Thanks to the donors of the St. Nicholas Foundation, thousands of children in need have been helped. However, we must not forget that the war is still going on and the sea of needs is growing. We appeal for help and ask for your generosity. How to help?
1) Make an on-line donation at www mikolaj.org.pl/Ukraina
2) Donate to:
SWIFT Code: PKOP PL PW
IBAN (EUR): PL95 1240 6003 1978 0010 8524 6705
IBAN (USD): PL30 1240 6003 1787 0010 8524 6561
IBAN (GBP): PL02 1240 6003 1789 0010 8524 6965
PayPal: [email protected]
In 2025, the operation of the St. Nicholas Day Care Center in Ivano-Frankivsk is co-financed from the state budget under Polish development cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, as part of the project ‘Providing psychological assistance to children harmed by warfare in Ukraine’, in the amount of PLN 493,400.
