An Abbotsford organization is supporting a community development program in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
Communitas Supportive Care Society, in connection with Canada Ukraine Agrarian Development Inc., has partnered with The Florence Centre since 2007.
The centre provides education and support for children, adults and families dealing with disabilities, abuse, addiction and mental health issues.
Communitas first got involved when then executive director Steve Thiessen heard word of the good work the centre – created by Otto and Florence Driediger – was doing.
He was intrigued by the connections that the Driedigers had established with the academic community in the Former Soviet Union (FSU) and the way they addressed subjects such as restorative justice, civil society and social work.
When the FSU collapsed, Thiessen saw an opportunity for Communitas to support the work of The Florence Centre.
“With the increasing possibility of travel, my own family’s ancestral connection to Ukraine, and my experience with the deinstitutionalization movement in Canada, I imaged that some kind of organizational relationship might be mutually beneficial,” he said.
The board of Communitas agreed to provide some ongoing financial support.
Over the following years, Thiessen made several visits to The Florence Centre, making presentations there and also at the university in Zaporizhzhia.
Lucy Romanankova of The Florence Centre also made several trips to Canada to share ideas on how best to serve people of all abilities.
On a recent visit to Abbotsford, Romanankova came with a team of staff from the centre. It was an opportunity to share experiences and learning.
Communitas CEO Karyn Santiago said the visit was a stark reminder of the peace and comfort we enjoy in Canada.
“While the six women were here with us, bombs and missiles were falling in their home city. Family members were staying in close contact, and their hearts were, at times, quite heavy,” Santiago said.
At the same time, the team from The Florence Centre had the opportunity to receive some training with new mental health tools, learn about the mental health clubhouse model, visit a home for children with complex health care needs, and visit various home-living options facilitated by Communitas.
“It was a rich and mutually beneficial experience to have Lucy and her team with us,” Santiago said. “We are grateful for the opportunity that we have to continue to support their work in Ukraine.”
Romanankova's involvement with The Florence Centre began when she was teaching at the university in Zaporizhzhia, exploring the creation of a social work and psychology program.
While she was able to provide excellent resources and teaching to her students, places for practicums were hard to find.
Through a connection at a conference in Odessa, Romanankova was put in contact with Otto Driediger, a retired sociology professor from the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, who was open to exploring possibilities with her.
He and his wife Florence, a social worker, began trips to Ukraine, guest lecturing at the university and eventually creating The Florence Centre.
“I decided we should call it The Florence Centre for two reasons,” Romanankova said. “First, it was a way to honour Florence and all her work with us and, second, it was a name that would draw attention because there’s nothing like it in Ukraine.”
The Florence Centre began working in schools helping students with addictions. They expanded their work to support families whose children live with developmental disabilities, those experiencing domestic violence, support for seniors, and more.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has had an enormous impact on these services. Romanankova and her team have had to pivot multiple times to support families both within Zaporizhzhia, as well as displaced families living outside of Ukraine.
While the future seems bleak for Ukrainians, Romanankova continues to cling to hope. All of their services are now offered virtually.
She said the work of The Florence Centre could not be done without the help of Communitas and the Driedigers.
“We continue to work and offer services as best we can,” she said. “By helping others, we help ourselves.”
Visit communitascare.com/donate and select “The Florence Centre Ukraine” to make a donation.
