Merry Christmas 'N Happy New Year!

New Hope 'N New Beginnings.

I send my warm Christmas greetings to my colleagues and friends. 

Croce Rossa Italiana (Burgas) 

www.cri.it

Emergenza Corno d’Africa : http://cri.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php?sid=096e1588e3d26ce65431a42116692775&/L/IT/IDPagina/8870

Aiuta la Croce Rossa ORA. Un semplice gesto fa la differenza

SUMMARY 2009 m. 

The reporting year is a jubilee, 150 - years of International Red Cross movement. Lithuanian Red Cross has turned 90 years on January 10th, and it’s 10 years for Visaginas Committee, which was held exactly 10 years ago, back in 1999.

Whole 2009 for the Lithuanian Red Cross - was held under the slogan "Help us and together we can help others." 

I am very pleased to realize that in 2009 for Visaginas Red Cross was the anniversary. Exactly 10 years ago, in 1999 in Visaginas, committee was organized. I started alone. There was no experience, no staff, no volunteers, the premises or funding. It was very difficult, but today, we have a good performance.

Social Program

       Our kind of activity is granting a constant social, psychological and medical aid to lonely, sick, helpless people. We try to improve quality of supervision for patients including home visiting service for lonely and to invalids, giving to patients means of hygiene, food and medicines.

      In 2008, we had only 2 staff units for the care of specialists who are constantly cared after 26 clients we had. In 2009 because of the financial situation in Lithuania, and after the reduction of staff units, we've got 1 staff specialist care, and with the July of 2009 only 0,5 staff. Services provided by Visaginas RC committee, declined significantly. 520 (in 2008 -1480) visits were done in a year on home care, 400 medical services carried out, 300 social services units (1200 in 2008).

                               All of our clients are lonely people who practically have no relatives in Visaginas and we were the only ones who visit them and offered them services.

Our volunteers come to visit and today, though not always, about 7-8 disabled people. They have long been their closest people whom they trust. And this is the greatest recognition that we need from them. And we do this humane mission. But today, without even a 0.5 rate of a staff member to monitor volunteer activities to attract, train new volunteers, to motivate them – it is very difficult. We tried to get at least part-time paid nurses in our city government, but unfortunately, because of the financial crisis - we were denied in funding. And now we are in a difficult position. If you cannot find even small amounts of funding, we will be forced to announce that the social and nursing services in our committee in 2010 will be ended. 

Prepare volunteers, train them how to care for a severely ill with no money for it - is not possible. This is a responsible and difficult work. Serve, assist, to be psychologically ready for such work with seriously ill patients may not be everyone. We need a concrete plan for attracting and training of volunteers. I do not know whether he was in the Red Cross. Help care for people with illness at home has always been the main focus of the Red Cross. I'm sorry, the Red Cross loses focus of this activity. I do not know how will we work further.

Support Center

In our committee we have constantly working assistance center for low-income people, staffed by volunteers only. In 2009 we have assisted nearly 450 residents of our city and many community organizations.

About 30 people have called us for help, within a month. Nor do they always ask us about financial aid. There were times when they simply wanted to – communicate as human beings, how to get the council to pay attention.

Regarding food

All 2009 we had worked on a project providing food for low-income people. This project is created for people who have little income. Last year we helped 5700 families (9000 people in 2008).

A set of products was great. Last month had to unload and distribute some around 15 tons of cargo. The work is very complicated. Not too easy psychologically as well.

Because our clients - these are people who have a lot of difficulties in their life, many of them homeless. Work with such a contingent is not easy. 

People come to us, many who would like to become a volunteer, but only one remains. Only those who have patience, respect.

We will continue work with this project. Project is complex, but it is essential for our city. Of course here, we have a problem with the room. Because the premise that our government provides for the storage and distribution of products is in poor condition.

It is not heated, there is no water, poor lighting. 

Visaginas Red Cross has long needed more space which would be an office, assistance center, hall for a group of care, room for products - it would be a modern, functioning center. We got a room in September 2009. It was in the building of the city hospital. State placement in very poor condition. Needing major repairs and requiring approximately 450 thousand euros. We could not find such a sum, although looking for funds, and requested assistance from government. We were allocated 300 sq. premises. And when the heating season starts, and we are billed for heating, it was necessary for 2,5 months (from mid-September to December) to pay 900 litas.

As a result, in December we were forced to abandon the premises. And we still have only a small, 67 square meters room, where are all of the activities of Visaginas RC are created.