Veteran Hub – a service center for ATO veterans and their loved ones opened in Kyiv
The foundations’ Founders Victor and Elena Pinchuk, the Chairman of the Veteran Hub Iwona Kostina and the Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko as well as government officials, foreign ambassadors and representatives of the international organizations took part in the presentation of the project. Guests were able to learn about the Veteran Hub operation, its team and resident organizations that would provide services in the common social space.
Elena Pinchuk: "By opening the Veteran Hub, we will launch a new format of providing services to ATO veterans and their relatives. Organizations, joined under one roof will be able to offer a wide range of services without forcing visitors to spend weeks waiting in queues and collecting documents. The most powerful organizations in the field of veterans' affairs are here today, and we plan to involve new residents and expand the range of services in the near future. This way, we want to demonstrate our gratitude and respect for the people who defended our peaceful life."
Victor Pinchuk: "They often say about veterans: "They need to help find their place in life." But that’s not true. Those who have defended us and the whole country have already found their place in life: AHEAD. Their energy, courage and patriotism are an invaluable human capital. The veterans were ahead on the front lines, therefore they can and should be ahead on the line of change and improvement. And the more of them will be there - the further our country will move forward. That is why we are launching this project together with our partners. We believe that it will help veterans realize themselves for Ukraine. "
Iwona Kostina: "Veteran Hub is a unique opportunity for the development of the of veterans' affairs sphere in Ukraine. We have combined recent years’ best practices example and have created decent conditions for cooperation of leaders in the veteran sector. Here the public services become available to veterans, their relatives and loved ones."
According to the statistics of the State Service for War Veterans and ATO participants, 22 549 ATO veterans live in Kyiv, and 17 671 live in the Kyiv region. Among them - 411 persons have disabilities due to military actions.
Veteran Hub was created to provide centralized services to veterans, security sector employees (police and rescue workers), their relatives and loved ones, members of military families, missing persons, hostages, victims, as well as to support their integration into social life.
Today, the Veteran Hub has united seven different public organizations. They will provide psychosocial services while retaining their own organizational and communicational identity. Organizations are united in a common space to make existing services more accessible and convenient for people with different experiences and needs.
Veteran Hub continues a strategy aimed at preserving the lives and health of the military and volunteers, which was formed in 2014-2015 under the Medsanbat project by Victor and Elena Pinchuk, in cooperation with the NGO "Pobratymy" in particular. This project was aimed at training various military doctors by NATO standards and developing Ukrainian standards for tactical medicine.
How the Veteran Hub operates
The Veteran Hub is open from 10 am to 10 pm, 7 days a week. In order to receive services, you must contact the Veteran Hub personally. However, soon it will be possible to register through a single Electronic system.
First, the visitor goes through a primary registration, providing the contact information on the first floor. And on the twentieth floor he is met by the primary consultants who, depending on the visitor's request, direct him to the resident organization that can satisfy his request.
In addition, the Veteran Hub will have regular educational activities. In the future, Veteran Hub plans to open a training center, mobile offices and representative offices in the regions.
Veteran Hub in the social networks:
Instagram: veteran_hub
FB: @VeteranHubUa
Resident organizations that will work permanently at Veteran Hub
NGO “Pobratymy”
facebook.com/pobratymy.training
Will conduct individual psychological counseling and support groups for various topics.
NGO “The Free People Employment Center”
Czvl.org.ua
facebook.com/czvl.staff/
Will help in professional orientation, job placement - writing a resume, preparing for interviews and contacts with employers. Also, the Center team will provide business advice.
NGO “Hero’s Companion”
heroscompanion.org
facebook.com/HerosCompanion
Will assist in battling post-traumatic stress disorder and other invisible injuries, inflicted by time spent in combat operations, using a powerful human-canine bond. Dog therapists will be fulltime members of the project team and will work at the Veteran Hub space every day.
NGO “The Legal Hundred”
Legal100.org.ua
facebook.com/yursotnya
Will provide legal support for clients. Information on the rights and guarantees provided by law, local programs; advice on filling out document. Will assist with representation in courts on specific types of cases related to the protection of rights and defense of interests when the state is the other party. "The Legal Hundred" hotline will also work in the Veteran Hub space.
NGO “Blue Bird”
Hostage.org.ua
facebook.com/po.bluebird
Will provide legal services, assist in the registration of missing or captured persons status, and conduct individual psychological counseling.
NGO “Volunteers”
Will conduct consultations regarding obtaining the status of a participant in combat operations at the regional level; consultations on obtaining the disability status as a result of combat, consultations for the families of the deceased on obtaing the status of a member of the family of the deceased. Also, the NGO will assist in preparation of documents for registration of social statuses, payments from the state (testimony, applications, petitions, search of witnesses). They will help to prepare lawsuits and support in court on social protection of soldiers and their family members. The consultants will follow up on the registration of privileges with the state authorities (volunteers and their families). Specialists from NGO “Volunteers” will be advising on getting higher education.
NGO “Free Choice”
Vvybir.org.ua
facebook.com/vvybir
Will conduct individual consultations of psychologist and psychiatrist.
"League of Mediators of Ukraine"
Limu.org.ua
facebook.com/UkrainianMediationLeague
Will provide services for the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflict situations in the family.
