Take a moment, and think of a young person in your life. Maybe it’s a child, or a sibling, or a friend’s child. Now, imagine that person is usually sent to live with relatives so their parents can find work in another country – and then, picture even that work disappearing when COVID-19 hit. Think of how stressed they and their family would be, and how alcohol advertised on TV might become appealing. 

For children and young people at our Pochaiv site, this kind of upset is a daily reality. As the stresses built up among families when parents lost work, young people began struggling with addiction. Something had to be done.  

Fortunately, Chalice’s Pochaiv site has recently partnered with a local community centre called the St. John Bosco Christian Youth Centre, and the nearby church to uplift youth struggling with addiction in the community of Ivano-Frankivsk.  

Through this Chalice project, there are plans to renovate part of the youth centre into an addictions facility where professionals will offer therapy and activities to teens and parents. Staff will purchase necessary learning materials, furniture, and equipment. Through Chalice’s support, the site will employ facilitators for the program’s inaugural year.  

Every week, teens will have two 45-minute sessions with a psychologist, one in a group of ten and the other in individual therapy. Parents will also meet weekly in groups of ten. The site is even planning field trips, including one to a swimming pool, a theatre, and a monastery. All activities will, of course, follow public health guidelines.  

The initiative is poised to strengthen the youth and their parents, equipping them to move forward together. The youth will learn tools to overcome addiction it, while parents will learn how to support their teens through the journey. Both groups will learn to communicate and have difficult, but constructive and caring, conversations.  

The Pochaiv site will establish and support the program in its first year, and a local church will continue it after. 

Through their hard work, they will offer hope to 140 sponsored teens struggling with addiction, and through them, reach 280 of their family members. 100 non-sponsored children will also be touched by the ray of light that is this program. 

When you think of that child or young person in your life, we ask that you remember and uplift the children at our Pochaiv site. Pray for their healing, and we’ll keep your loved ones in our prayers, too.  

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