On December 19, the village of Sheptytske hosted a charity Christmas dinner, gathering the local community, clergy, and representatives of local authorities to celebrate the pre-Christmas season. Over 100 individuals facing difficult life circumstances had the opportunity to enjoy festive meals prepared by chefs and students of Chervonohrad Vocational Mining and Construction College.
The event began with a moment of silence in the college’s assembly hall to honor fallen heroes. A united prayer followed, involving clergy from various denominations: Father Yuriy from the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit, Elder Yaroslav Savka from the Evangelical Baptist Church, Pastors Valeriy Marchenko and Pavlo Vasikov from the Evangelical Christian Church “Gethsemane,” and Father Myroslav Banakh from the Greek Catholic Church of St. Josaphat.
A highlight of the program was a Christmas play depicting the birth of Jesus Christ, organized by Lesya Rak and performed by the college students. Traditional carols enriched the festive atmosphere, and the event was further illuminated by the Bethlehem Peace Light, brought by members of the “Plast” organization led by Tamara Diachok.
The initiative for the event came from Pastor Pavlo Vasikov of the “Gethsemane” Church. Significant support for the event was provided by Deputy Mayor Volodymyr Koval, along with contributions from several organizations, including “Di.Ya.Ty,” the Women’s Perspectives Center, the “Caritas Kramatorsk” Foundation, the Evangelical Christian Church “Gethsemane,” the Foundation for Development and Strategic Changes, the Municipal Territorial Social Services Center, the Chervonohrad branch of the Red Cross Society, the “Parostok” Union, Plast Station, and the Chervonohrad Mining and Construction College.