The programme to support twenty-four soup kitchens in Transcarpathia has begun. The Reformed Church in Transcarpathia (RCT) celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. On this occasion, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid (HRCA) has prepared a special gift: it is supporting the 24 soup kitchens operated by RCT with a total of 80.000 euros’ worth food donation.
Károly Czibere and Bishop Sándor Zán Fábián signing the contract
HRCA considered it important to commemorate the centenary of the Reformed Church in Transcarpathia, Ukraine, in a way that would also help those in need. The donation will bring fifty tonnes of food to Transcarpathia over the next ten months, of which nearly 200.000 hot meals will be prepared.
The signing of the contract on 14th December at the Bishop's Office Beregszász (Berehove) was followed by a press conference.
Sándor Zán Fábián, Bishop of the Transcarpathian reformed church, stressed that through the programme “the needy and meek will experience the love of God in addition to human help”. In his opinion, this is the essence of it all, and he expressed his deep gratitude for the cooperation and support. “Our faith also involves action,” the church leader concluded by saying that “it is important to remain committed and faithful in our work. Being in solidarity with each other and moving forward together is a sign of our faith and a witness to God”.
Károly Czibere, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the HRCA, emphasised that it is our duty to stand by those in need. “It is obvious that we help our brothers and sisters in Transcarpathia. We are grateful for the many encounters and discussions, which are always a blessing, because the success of our charity work depends on them. This programme is the result of listening closely to the needs, taking responsibility and engaging cooperation. Out of the fifty tons of the provided food items, six tons were grown, produced and prepared by our brothers and sisters in emerging communities in Hungary, themselves in difficult social circumstances, who are doing real, helpful and valuable work," said the president of HRCA.
Károly Czibere serves food in the social kitchen of the reformed congregation in Beregszász (Berehove)
Katona Viktória, a Magyar Református Rev. Viktória Katona, deputy executive director of the HRCA, minister responsible for cross-border relations, informed the guests about the programme in detail.
Katona Viktória és Czibere Károly a gáti óvodásoknak is vittek ajándékot
After signing the contracts of support, the hosts visited the kitchen of the Berehove congregation and the kindergarten in the nearby village, Gát, where they presented gifts to the children. During the afternoon, a delegation of the HRCA also visited the congregation in Sernye.
The Hungarian Reformed Church Aid handed over four thousand “Nyilas Misi” packages throughout the Carpathian Basin, of which about two thousand shoeboxes filled with non-perishable food and toys have been distributed in Transcarpathia.
Nyilas Misi Scholarship Program aims to support outstandingly talented, socially disadvantaged students in Hungarian educational system within and without the border of Hungary. In addition to financial support, mentors help students participating in the program to develop their talents. 5-12 students participating in Hungarian and foreign-language education in Hungary are invited for the annual competition. Students who are particularly talented in arts, sports or science, humanities, or socially disadvantaged.
The ’Box of Love’, today 'Nyilas Misi Shoebox' project takes place in the Advent Season. It aims to support socially disadvantaged families with cardboard boxes filled with non-persihable food and toiletries. Each year, thousands of children and families benefit from the in-kind support.
Since its establishment in 2006, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid has been supporting Hungarian communities beyond the borders through various donation programmes, be it in the form of durable food, donations of school supplies or the support of summer camps for children. Supporting the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia has always been a priority for HRCA, but since the escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian war, helping the people of the region has become more important than ever. Since February last year, more than 955 tonnes of in-kind donations have been delivered to Transcarpathia.